Finding Home
by JBGilroy
Summary: After getting a call to look into a hacker, Batman sends his protégée to investigate which throws the Young Justice team into the world of halfas and ghost hunters. Follow Danny's journey to get home. (T rated for a reason: details inside)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**I promised I'd be back and here I am, albeit after a longer time than I anticipated.**

**This story is a long one. I've been writing this story for almost 3 three years. So buckle in for a long journey with our favourite halfa.**

**This story focuses mostly on Danny but there are a few chapters spotted throughout that use another character's point of view.**

**The first three chapters are more prologues than the actual start of the story but it does set up a lot of things. **

**I don't own Young Justice or Danny Phantom. **

**And while I'm doing disclaimers; this story has earned its T rating. There are disturbing scenes in this story. If you really don't like gore, then you might want to skip this story or some of the chapters at least, although they are important to understand Danny's journey. But I'll put in warnings at the end of the previous chapter and the start of the chapter containing that scene.**

**Hope you enjoy the story, let's get started.**

It was dark. That worked for Robin and he was leading this investigation after all with Miss Martian and Artemis. It was only a small team because it was a small mission. The government was just a little worried about a hacker. Sporadically over the last month or so, a hacker had tried to hack into a classified branch of the government. Until now though, the firewalls have held up. But the government was concerned. The hacker was learning and getting better every attempt. It would only be so long before the hacker got in. So Batman was sending Robin, the team's hacker, to investigate. Miss Martian was there for the inevitable interrogation when they found this mystery hacker. And Artemis was back up in case they ran into more problems than a computer geek.

Robin, Artemis and Miss Martian dropped to the ground below the Bioship. Robin tapped on his computer console in his arm. A light blue, holographic display appeared. He read the data and pointed down the road.

"_This way. The hacker is trying to hack in and the signal originates a few blocks over,_" Robin informed the girls over Miss Martian's mental link. They nodded and followed the master of stealth.

"_This is a strange town. Usually there would be a lot of people around on the streets at this time,_" Artemis commented. Robin frowned.

"_I know what you mean Artemis. But there's rumours that this place is haunted,_" Robin replied.

"_As long as Harm doesn't appear, I don't care,_" Artemis retorted, but her scowl betrayed her nervousness.

"_But that ghost you met, Greta… she helped you right? Why are you worried if ghosts are good?_" Miss Martian asked.

"_Ghost stories here aren't nice M'gann. They're of evil creatures that attack people for no reason,_" Robin interjected before stopping outside a large town house. Robin checked his console again and nodded.

"_This is the place. Doesn't look that well-guarded, but we should still be careful. Signal's on the top floor,_" Robin announced.

The girls nodded and Miss Martian's eyes glowed light green as she floated up into the air. Robin grabbed Artemis by the armpits, and using a grappling hook from his utility belt, he swung the non-super-powered heroes up the building. Together they scaled the building, Miss Martian entering her camouflage mode. They reached the top floor within minutes without any problems. Artemis and Robin perched beside a large window. They could see a garden from their perch complete with a glass greenhouse filled with plants. Robin peered through the lit window and frowned.

Inside the room, he saw two teenagers. They couldn't be older than sixteen. A girl wearing black and purple clothes with big, bulky combat boots. And a boy wearing a red beret and glasses, typing furiously at an expensive looking computer. The teenagers were in a bedroom with a large king sized bed with dark covers, strewn messily on the mattress. There were CD cases on the ground, despite there being plenty of room for proper shelving. There were posters on the walls of rock bands. It was nothing like they were expecting.

Robin glanced at Artemis and she nodded to him. Robin pulled out another device from his utility belt and began to unlock the window. While he worked, the trio overheard the conversation inside.

"Well?" the girl prompted impatiently.

"Sam, stop bothering me. This isn't as easy as it looks. I have to hack through firewalls meant to keep out terrorists," the boy snapped.

"You've gotten through before right?" the girl, Sam, retorted. The boy scowled.

"Yeah, but every time I try, they make it harder. I have to find new ways in every time. Good thing these programmers are morons or they could actually make it impossible for me to get in. Just give me a minute, I'm almost through this firewall. Hopefully it's the last one," the boy replied. Sam huffed and began to pace.

The boy continued to type but suddenly he cried out in alarm and bit back a vile curse. The computer sparked and a small explosion filled the room. The computer smoked and went black.

"Tucker!? Are you alright? What happened?" Sam exclaimed, running to her friend as he sucked on a singed finger.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But your computer's busted. They surged us. Shut it down and overrode the system," Tucker explained, sounding furious but also despairing.

"Sammy! Tucker! Is everything alright?! I heard a crash," a woman's voice shouted through the closed door.

"Yeah mom. But Tucker overworked my computer," Sam answered.

"Oh, I guess you'll have to finish that project of yours tomorrow," the mother decided.

"No! No, we can work off my laptop instead. I backed it up so we didn't lose anything. But Tucker will probably be going home in the next hour or so," Sam interjected.

The teens held their breath.

"Alright, but don't make it too late you two," the mother relented. The teens sighed in relief.

"Why did you blame me? I wouldn't put it past your folks to put a restraining order on me next," Tucker complained.

"Sorry, but it was the first thing I could think of. Besides, it's makes the most sense. And my parents don't mind me hanging out with you. They just hate Danny," Sam apologised. Tucker and Sam's expressions saddened. Tucker turned his sad gaze to the smoking computer.

"We have to get him out of there," Tucker muttered. Sam nodded.

Robin smirked as he got the window unlocked and pushed it open allowing the three members of Young Justice to climb in. Both teens gasped in alarm and backed away from the intruders.

"Who are you?!" Sam demanded, recovering first.

"I'm Robin. And we're here to get to the bottom of a hacker hacking into government systems," Robin explained with an accusing scowl at Tucker. The boy shrank under the stare. Sam stepped forward and pressed her face right into Robin's.

"How dare you break into my home and accuse us of treason?! Why would a couple of kids want to do that? It's absurd. Get out before I call the cops," Sam growled. Robin didn't back down. He worked with Batman in Gotham. A Gothic girl with a fierce scowl and a few threats wasn't anything to Robin.

"We overheard you. The signal was tracked to this room at this time. We have proof. You're not going to call the cops because you're the ones in the wrong," Robin challenged. Sam glared at the younger boy.

"Sam… they caught us. If we explain ourselves… maybe, they'll help," Tucker whispered. Sam glanced at her friend before sighing and taking a step back.

"You're lucky that we're desperate," Sam muttered. The trio of heroes shared a confused look.

"We're trying to save our best friend. He got arrested and we think that he's in trouble," Sam admitted.

"Well, that makes sense. Why did he get arrested? Hacker too? Thief?" Artemis replied. Tucker and Sam glared at her.

"No! He's not a criminal!" Sam snapped.

"He was arrested for existing," Tucker mumbled. Sam nodded in agreement.

**What will Robin, Miss Martian and Artemis think of Sam and Tucker's claims?**

**The next chapter is kind of like a flashback as well as taking place of Sam and Tucker's explanation for the members of Young Justice present. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Danny Fenton was a sixteen year old teenager with two best friends. Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. They weren't popular or even that noticeable, but they were happy… relatively.

"I can't believe that three ghosts attacked today! I swear that they're starting to plan these grouped attacks," Danny complained and brushed a long black lock of hair out of his blue eyes.

"Oh, Danny. Stop being so dramatic. It was nothing big. Just the Box Ghost, Klemper and Skulker. Box Ghost and Skulker are always attacking you," Sam soothed her friend with a smirk. Danny shook his head.

"Yeah yeah. I know. At least school's over for the summer next week. Lancer can't give me too many detentions for tardies," Danny muttered.

"I heard that Lancer can give out detentions this year for next school year," Tucker remarked. Sam and Danny glared at their friend.

"Not helping," Danny growled and sighed.

"Right… er, let's go to the Nasty Burger then. I'm hungry and you know their shakes always cheer you up," Tucker suggested. Danny and Sam smirked at their friend and agreed. They could all use something to eat. They'd hadn't had much lunch, in fact Danny had skipped due to Skulker attacking.

As they walked, they joked with each other and laughed together. They ate in the fast food restaurant but as they made their way out, things went wrong. Danny's ghost sense triggered. The trio rushed out of the restaurant and ducked into a dark alley nearby.

"Going ghost!" Danny cried and a ring of light appeared around his waist. It split in half and travelled along his body. His usual attire of jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt changed into a skin-tight, black and white jumpsuit with his symbol on his chest. Danny Fenton had changed into the ghost hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom. Sam and Tucker pulled out a thermos and a pair of anti-ghost weapons, pilfered from Fenton Works when Danny's parents weren't looking, from Tucker's trusty backpack. Ready, they ran back out of the alley to face the ghost related threat.

The street was already in chaos. The air was thick with ghosts.

"You guys were saying," Danny muttered in disbelief referencing the comment during their meal that there would be no more ghost attacks that day.

"We're going to need another thermos," Sam whispered. Danny set his jaw and jumped into the air.

"You guys get to my house and get Jazz and another thermos. Might have to call in my parents too," Danny ordered.

"You sure man? I mean, you have enough enemies out here. Do you really need your parents shooting at you too?" Tucker interjected before Danny could rush off. Danny bit his lip and shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. I'll manage. We need the bodies," Danny decided and flew off. Sam and Tucker shared a look before running down the street towards Fenton Works.

Danny flew up into the centre of the horde of ghosts.

"Why are you guys here!?" Danny shouted. There was usually a very good reason for when ghosts invaded Amity Park. The last time a number of free thinking ghosts attacked was the Ghost King. The ghosts filling the air above Amity Park's streets ignored him. Danny didn't expect an answer but it was worth a try. With a shrug, he began to try and keep the human civilians safe. The Nasty Burger was evacuated and the surrounding streets cleared. Danny chased the ghosts through Amity Park, trying desperately to contain them until his friends and family could arrive as back-up since he neglected to grab the thermos from Tucker. But it was impossible. There were too many.

However the ghosts seemed to be trying to get out of Amity Park so Danny didn't stop them. If the ghosts left Amity Park, then at least the civilians would be safe. But Danny never thought that the ghosts could possibly be something more than a group of ghosts. It never occurred to the halfa that the ghosts could be bait and that Danny was falling into an elaborate trap set up over the course of the day. The ghosts reached the edge of the town and then they stopped fleeing. They turned to Danny and began to attack him. With a gasp, Danny was forced to make the strongest shield he could without any notice. He didn't even have the time to think. He formed the green shield out of instinct.

He dropped his shield and blinked at the ghosts surrounding him in shock.

"What? I don't understand. I thought you guys were running away," Danny muttered.

"Not exactly. Surrender, you're surrounded," a male voice called and Danny turned to see a grown man dressed in a white suit and wearing sunglasses. Danny's stomach flipped with fear. The Guys in White. Government employed ghost hunters with a vendetta against Danny Phantom. Danny licked his lips and put on a cocky grin. These idiots had gotten a lot better recently.

"Oh look, the ghost hunters that can't catch ghosts. Been a while," Danny taunted. The agent frowned and pulled out a large impressive anti-ghost weapon. Danny yawned mockingly.

"That supposed to scare me?" Danny commented and folded his arms. The agent primed the weapon.

"It should. Attack!" the agent ordered and the ghosts surged forwards together and surprised Danny. At the same time the agent fired his gun and more agents appeared and aimed at Danny.

Danny dodged and ducked under every attack possible but he was quickly overwhelmed, and a punch to the head and several to the gut winded him enough, allowing the Guys in White the time to fire their weapons and get a direct hit. Danny instantly felt weak and his powers suddenly rebelled against him. His flight cut out causing him to drop towards the ground, he didn't even have the time to cry out, before his flight came back in time to stop him crashing painfully. Against his will, his hands glowed green as his ghost ray activated. Danny blinked in shock and aimed his hands at his enemies. But his flight cut out again and Danny fell to the ground. At the same time as he fell, his ghost ray fired, causing the shot to go wide and hit a tree.

His foot became intangible and it sank into the ground and became solid. He screamed in agony as the ground crushed his foot that unnaturally penetrated it. He couldn't control any of his powers in order to free himself. The ghosts lunged at him. Trapped and powerless, other than the sporadic bursts of power by accident, Danny could do nothing but try and hit the ghosts back. In pain and frightened, the fight was very much one-sided. The ghosts beat him into unconsciousness.

"Enough. Leave before we change our minds," an agent commanded and the ghosts obediently scattered. The agents strode over to the downed ghost boy, without knowing it, their weapons protected his secret identity preventing him from changing back to human with his powers going haywire. They dug out Danny's crushed foot and placed suppressing handcuffs on Danny's wrists. They then carried the ghost to their vehicles and drove away with their captive. The only witness of their retreat being the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle as it passed the government vehicles on its way to the site of the ghost fight.

**Gasp! The Guys in White have Danny Phantom!**

**Can he protect his secret from his captors? **

**What will Young Justice think?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

Sam and Tucker waited. They'd shared their best friend's deepest secret and plight. Now it was up to Robin and the other unnamed female heroes to believe them.

"If you never actually saw your friend getting arrested, how do you know?" Artemis ventured.

"The story of Danny's defeat is famous throughout the Ghost Zone. He's… he's not well liked there. But we learned what happened during a ghost fight the next day. We didn't know what happened to him before that," Sam explained.

"Yeah, we figured that he got back home really late after rounding up those ghosts or lost them and searched for them. It was the weekend and because Danny doesn't get a lot of sleep during the week, he usually sleeps a lot. It was only when we tried to call him when a ghost attacked that we realised for definite that something was up. We called Jazz, his sister, and she thought she just kept missing him. She covered for him with their parents," Tucker added.

"So, his parents don't know. How does that work with him… gone?" Robin realised. The friends shook their heads.

"When we learned what happened, we told Jazz and she decided that we had to tell them. School wasn't over. They would have gotten a call sooner or later about Danny skipping," Tucker answered.

"Glad we weren't there for it. His parents are really upset and guilty. They're ghost hunters and they did hunt Danny Phantom. Luckily, our group is ignored at school so no one's noticed that Danny's missing as well as Phantom. Phantom has been noticed though. Ghost attacks are out of control," Sam muttered.

"Let me get this straight, you've been trying to find Danny. By hacking into the system," Miss Martian inquired. The teens nodded.

"We've tried everything else that we can think of. His ecto-signature is being blocked. All our normal methods are useless. So Tucker's been trying to get in. That's the third computer we've gone through. We're lucky that I'm stinking rich and I can afford new ones," Sam explained. Robin bit his lip and glanced at his team mates. This wasn't what they expected to find. They thought it would be a small time terrorist or a kid trying to get attention. News of a teenager being taken and suspected to be experimented on… this needed the rest of the team and Batman.

"Any leads?" Artemis asked. Sam and Tucker shook their heads.

"None. Every time I get through a fire wall and we think we're getting closer, I find another fire wall or they surge our system. I hate to say it, but even Sam's money can't buy a computer that can help. Not if we don't want her parents to catch us," Tucker admitted. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you tell them though?" Artemis inquired. Her mother knew all about what she did. Surely Sam's would understand. Sam scowled.

"Not an option. This is Danny's secret and he's worked hard to keep it. Really hard. And besides, my parents don't want me around Fenton, let alone Phantom. If they ever learned the truth… let's just say they put a restraining order on him for less," Sam decided, looking down to her fisted hands.

"Besides, we know this is illegal… I've tried to be careful but this is high-tech stuff. If our parents knew, they'd stop us. They'd probably want to tell the authorities about Danny and Danny trusted us with his secret," Tucker added.

"If his secret is so important… why tell us?" Miss Martian wondered aloud.

"Because… you're our last chance at finding our best friend," Tucker confessed.

"We've tried everything. And Tucker's been trying to hack in for over a month now. And… you caught us," Sam resumed. The trio of heroes shared a look before sighing in defeat.

"We'll have to tell the rest of our team, and my mentor. But, we'll do what we can. We'll over look this since you didn't mean any harm," Robin decided. The girls gave supportive nods. Tucker and Sam smiled with relief.

"Sammy! Tucker! It's getting late. Tucker you should probably head home!" Sam's mother called through the door.

"Right! Sorry Mrs Manson!" Tucker yelled back and they turned to where the heroes stood moments before to find that they'd already gone.

"I really hope we did the right thing," Tucker mumbled. Sam nodded.

"Me too. But if it saves Danny, I'm glad we told them," Sam replied. Tucker grabbed his backpack and left the house leaving them both hoping that they had done the right thing in revealing Danny's best kept secret to three strangers.

Robin, M'gann and Artemis sat in silence in the Bioship as they flew away from Amity Park. None of them knew what to think. A half-ghost teenager. It was hard to believe.

"I wonder how Wally will react," Artemis wondered, breaking the silence. Robin shrugged.

"I dunno. Hopefully better than he did when he met Kent Nelson and Doctor Fate," Robin replied. They nodded in agreement.

"Is Batman going to believe this?" M'gann asked. Robin shrugged.

"I hope so. The way those kids spoke… they're obviously terrified for their friend. I mean they knew they were committing treason, but they did it anyway. That says a lot. Batman will listen to that. But the whole half-ghost thing? I'm not sure that _I_ believe it. But he obviously has powers," Robin answered deep in thought. M'gann and Artemis nodded, thinking the same things themselves.

"I can't imagine how scared that kid must be though. His friends clearly think that these Guys in White people are going to hurt him. Rob, we can't ignore that. What if Batman tells us to back off?" Artemis whispered. Robin frowned in determination.

"Then we go anyway. It wouldn't be the first time the team made up their own minds on following hunches. I'd rather get a lecture than know I left a kid in trouble," Robin decided.

**That's right! Danny's parents know Danny's secret in this story!**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Danny slowly came back to consciousness. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. It could have been minutes, it could have been days. He remained completely still and tried to maintain slow deep breaths to feign sleep. If the scientists knew he was awake they might decide to start with their tests. He turned his groggy thoughts to his time with the Guys in White. When he first woke up in the facility, he couldn't even be sure if he was in the same one, he'd been terrified. One of his worst nightmares, one of his greatest fears since the accident, had come true. Captured by ghost hunters. He'd been thankful that he was still in his ghost form when he woke up but his foot was useless. The Guys in White hadn't bothered to tend to it. They'd just dumped him in a cage. A cage just barely big enough for him to sit up upright and lie down in a foetal position.

But the help he was sure would arrive, didn't. Sam and Tucker never came charging in to save him in the Spectre Speeder. It was in the first day or so that Danny learned of his fast healing. Until that point, he had never gotten so badly injured. A bruise here, a scratch there. They never bothered him. But a crushed foot, that did. He learned that he could heal faster as an injury that should have taken weeks to heal, took a day or so for him. It was tender and couldn't support his weight well, but it no longer hurt to even touch it. Unfortunately, that was the last bit of good luck he'd had in a while.

The moment the gun's affects faded, he unwillingly reverted to human form. It had been a disaster. There was even a couple of scientists in the room at the time. He was dragged out of the cage and strapped to a table. They examined him. Much like a doctor does a patient. They took blood samples and tested his reflexes. They learned who he was. Thankfully they believed that ghost hunters wouldn't know that their son was a ghost and not rectify it. They questioned Danny, prompting answers by punishing electrical shocks. Danny explained what he was reluctantly and lied by saying that no one knew what he was. He was afraid what it would mean to his family if the Guys in White knew that at least Jazz knew the truth about him. The Guys in White didn't believe him, but they had no proof otherwise.

That first week had been hard. He'd been strapped to the table ever since. He was their favourite project. They learned that he needed water and food after a few days of starving him. Not that they fed him. No, they merely hooked an IV to him. They removed it for the experiments but at least Danny wouldn't die due to lack of nutrients. He longed to actually swallow something other than his own blood and bile though. Bathroom privileges weren't allowed either. Just like in hospitals, they collected his waste in bags and Danny suspected that they examined that too.

Those humiliating inconveniences were nothing compared to the agony Danny endured every day though. They started small. A cut here. A beating there. They wanted to learn about his healing capabilities. Then they moved on to metabolic differences. They injected him with solutions. Sometimes they made him sick, others they burned his insides. Danny had heard many different names and once even that they used snake venom. Then they moved to the more damaging experiments. Autopsies, electrocution, exposure to blood blossoms and ecto-ranium shards. They tested numerous anti-ghost techniques against him. Most didn't work. They intentionally broke his bones and examined his organs.

Danny, at first, fought them. He screamed and cursed them. Insulted them every chance he got. Around the time he used his ghostly wail in a desperate attempt to escape, they gagged him. They didn't want to surgically remove his ability to speak until they were sure they didn't need him to explain things. But it was an ever present threat. So Danny stopped talking. The gag was so tight that it was almost impossible to breathe through his mouth. Sometimes they persuaded Danny to change into his ghost form to see if there were any changes from his human form. Screaming through one autopsy had been horrible. Suffering through a second before he had fully healed was torture.

The scientists didn't care though. One informed Danny regularly that his pain was furthering their understanding of ghost anatomy in leaps and bounds. Being a halfa meant that the scientists could truly see how different a ghost was to a human. But the others never spoke to him. Danny wasn't sure which was worse. Being ignored while the scientists laughed and joked among themselves or being told that his pain was helping these ghost hunters to better understand ghosts and so how to destroy them. Danny may have many ghostly enemies, but he also had ghostly friends. The idea that the Guys in White could learn something about him to use against Frostbite or Wulf or any of his friends. It was enough to make Danny wish he could end it all. If he killed himself… maybe he could protect them. As a halfa, he wasn't sure what death would mean to him. Would he become Danny Phantom full-time? Would he just die? Would his body dissolve like a ghost's?

But escape was impossible and the scientists never did enough to kill him. Once or twice Danny had choked on vomit or blood in his mouth. With the gag it was impossible to get rid of it. They simply revived him. But that was only what they did when he was awake. They experimented on what sedatives and drugs worked on him too. There were many times that Danny woke up in more agony than he recalled enduring. But these moments when he woke up and the scientists didn't know he was awake. They were the most precious. They were the closest thing he got to relaxation and true rest. It rarely lasted long. The scientists knew how long the drugs should last and would check on him.

And like always, the scientists had been pretty accurate with their calculations. Barely seconds after his mind cleared of the hazy fog of drug induced unconsciousness, a scientist leant over him and lifted an eyelid and smirked at him.

"I know you're awake. You can stop faking," the scientist told him. Silently Danny swore. It was the sick scientist that thought his suffering was worthwhile. This was going to be a hard day or session. Time didn't exist to Danny anymore. Through the pain and sedatives, Danny couldn't even be sure how long he'd been with the Guys in White and the lack of clocks and windows meant he didn't even know if it was day or night. The scientist stepped away and picked up a clipboard.

Danny, since pretending wouldn't help, opened his eyes and watched the scientist. The scientist hummed to himself and leafed through pages. He put down the clipboard and wheeled a trolley with implements on them beside Danny. Danny swallowed his fear down. Another autopsy.

"Change for me," the scientist ordered. It was strange. The tone the man used was almost kind but Danny wasn't fooled. Not after so long. He obeyed. If he didn't they'd just prolong his pain and punish him. Sometimes he was surprised that he even had the energy to change.

**So that's what's been happening to Danny. **

**This is the first of those little warnings I told you about. The next chapter has gore and disturbing scenes. **

**One another note, I was asked when this story is set. It's the summer after season 1 in Young Justice and it's based after the show in Danny Phantom but Phantom Planet never happened. Hope that clears up any confusion.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

**In case you missed the warning in the previous chapter, this is a heavy-going chapter with gore and disturbing images. If you don't like that kind of thing you may want to skip this chapter.**

The scientist smiled at Danny and unzipped his jumpsuit. Despite the amount of damage the suit had been subjected to, it repaired itself. Every time Danny changed back into his ghost form, it had repaired itself. This had been of interest to the scientists too. Using scissors, the scientist cut off the arms of his suit and pulled out the IV feeding Danny. Once he'd removed the jumpsuit down to Danny's waist, the scientist picked up a pen.

"Stay still," the scientist muttered as he bent over and began to draw dotted lines over Danny's torso. The wet pen made Danny shiver but he obeyed the command. Every mark made him even more frightened though. The number of marks meant it was going to be a big wound.

The scientist put the lid back on the pen with a snap and put it down. He then picked up a thin, glinting blade.

"Don't worry, I'm sure this will help me understand you even better. And my colleagues are watching, ready to take notes so we don't miss a thing," the scientist informed him with a smile. Danny clenched his teeth around his gag. It gave him a way to react without risking a punishment. Then without a hint of hesitation, the scientist pressed the cold metal to Danny's chest and pushed the blade down. Danny bit back a cry of pain and blinked back scared tears. The scientist cut through Danny's flesh, ignoring the occasional whimper or groan of terrified agony. Danny kept his eyes shut as he felt the scientist peel his skin apart to reveal his ribcage.

Danny's obvious discomfort didn't discourage the scientist at all in pointing out things he liked to think interesting. Danny tuned out the comments. He groaned in pain and yelped as the scientist caressed his functioning organs. The scientist then broke Danny's rib. Danny couldn't help the scream in agony.

"Hush hush, it's alright. It's all for progress remember that," the scientist soothed and then broke another rib. By the time the scientist finished breaking into his ribcage, silent tears had escaped Danny's clenched shut eyes, unable to stop the soft whimpers of pure agony. The scientist tutted.

"See, that wasn't so bad. Now we can get a better look at this interesting thing here," the scientist muttered in almost sympathy. The scientist gently pushed Danny's rapid lungs to the side and peered at a glowing blue orb of energy. His ice core. The scientist picked up a small pointer and touched the energy. The orb reacted by sending a sharp chill throughout Danny's body and frosted over the pointer. The chill was painful to Danny. It seemed to burn his cells in its sudden and intense pulse of cold.

"Intriguing. So this is the organ responsible for your ice abilities. Tell me, what do ghosts call it?" the scientist inquired. Danny was in too much pain to answer the scientist, even if he could. The scientist looked to the boy's face before sighing in disappointment.

"Silly me. I forgot your gag. Now, you behave and answer my questions," the scientist told him. Danny felt the gag being taken away.

"Now, what is this organ called?" the scientist asked. It was more like he was asking the weather over a cup of coffee. Danny's whimpers were no longer muffled by the gag.

"Come on, how can we understand you if you don't cooperate," the scientist prompted, his impatience prevalent. Danny had to answer now or he'd be punished for not cooperating.

"Ice… core," Danny managed. The scientist nodded, happy to get his answer.

"Does every ghost have one? Or are you unique?" the scientist wondered. Danny shook his head as much as he could despite the agony and exhaustion.

"Not… every… one. Not… unique," Danny answered, his voice cracked from disuse and his current agony. The scientist hummed his interest.

"Do you know how you came to have one?" the scientist asked. Danny shook his head.

The scientist examined his pointer and then frowned.

"Did you freeze my equipment?" the scientist accused. Danny shook his head again. The scientist scowled but decided that Danny was telling the truth. The scientist replaced the gag and resumed his examination of the ice core. He ignored Danny's yelps and muffled cries of pain. He took the organ's temperature and tried numerous times to extract the energy without success before moving on to further study Danny's other organs. Once he was finished, he sloppily stitched Danny back up, Danny would heal the wound soon. The scientist injected a sedative in the halfa and replaced the IV. Danny reverted to human as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

**If you got through that chapter, well done. And if you for some reason enjoyed it, then don't worry there will be more. For those of you that had difficulty… well there will be warnings for those chapters. **

**Anyway… What are Young Justice up to?**

**And what are your thoughts on the story so far?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

Aqualad sat bolt upright in his seat on the Bioship. The team were all there, with the exception of Wolf and Sphere.

"You are certain that this facility is where they are keeping Danny?" Aqualad inquired, turning to his second in command, Robin. Robin was typing on his holographic display and nodded.

"Positive. I hacked into the system and triple checked the location. This is the place," Robin answered. Miss Martian landed the Bioship and the team filed out in silence. Through the moonlight they saw that they were standing a short distance from a large complex built on scrubland situated in the middle of nowhere.

The building looked almost like a prison rather than a scientific research facility. The building was two stories tall and long. It was an impressive size. The blueprints revealed that there were three levels below ground. The two above ground levels were supposedly offices and living quarters for employees and the three below ground levels were labs and storage. There was an adjoining garage that linked up to the ground floor. There was little cover for the team any closer. They would have to approach this carefully. Aqualad took a steadying breath and turned to his team.

"Kid, Miss Martian and Artemis. Stay outside and make sure we have a clear path when we free Danny. Robin, you and Zatanna will get to the security controls. Make sure we don't get caught and find Danny as quickly as possible. Superboy, Rocket and I, we're going to get Danny out of there. Any questions?" Aqualad whispered. The team shook their heads. Aqualad nodded with finality.

"M'gann, link us up," Aqualad ordered.

"_Link established_," Miss Martian informed them all telepathically.

They set to work. It took Batman and Robin a week to be certain that this was the facility Danny was being kept in. It was difficult because they filed him under a code rather than by name. In fact, his actual identity was more a side note rather than a point of interest on his file. The team hoped that Sam and Tucker were worrying over nothing, or at least that their fears for their friend's life were unfounded. But one look at this building, it gave the young heroes a bad feeling.

Kid Flash ran off and rustled a few bushes to attract the attention of the many security guards. Miss Martian used her telekinesis to float into the air in camouflage mode and she knocked out any guards she came across with telepathic attacks before hiding them to continue onwards. Artemis, like Kid Flash, rustled bushes and then used knock-out gas from her arrows to subdue the guards. There were a lot of security guards, lending proof to their thoughts of a prison.

While they did that, Robin hacked into the system and unlocked a side door. Once inside, the team split up, Robin and Zatanna rushing off to take over the security system and Aqualad, Rocket and Superboy went to find Danny. So far so good.

"_Kaldur, I'm in the system. Danny should be in the second basement. There's an elevator a few metres in front of you but the stairs are clear. They're on your next left,_" Robin informed them. Aqualad gave a quick nod and took the next left and began to creep down the flight of stairs.

"_Was this what it was like trying to find me?_" Superboy wondered.

"_No. We didn't know about you. We were just looking for trouble. And we found it,_" Robin answered, his smirk evident in his mental voice.

"_Yeah, geneomorphs attacking us. Crazy scientists on blockbuster stuff. Brainwashed clone of Superman. We found trouble,_" Kid Flash commented.

"_I hope this kid is alright though. Those kids we caught in Amity Park… they were desperate for help. I have a really bad feeling about this_," Artemis muttered.

"_I'm sure Danny is fine. Perhaps a little traumatised by being arrested but this is the government. I highly doubt they'd hurt a child,_" Aqualad interjected. The mental link went quiet. No one wanted Aqualad to be wrong. If he was, then this was a lot bigger than a super-powered teen being in the wrong place.

Aqualad reached the second basement door.

"_Robin, are we clear to leave the stairwell?_" Aqualad asked.

"_All good Kaldur,_" Zatanna answered.

"_He asked me Zatanna,_" Robin complained. Zatanna giggled.

"_I know, but I was quicker to answer,_" Zatanna teased.

"_Ugh! No flirting over the mind link!_" Artemis ordered. Aqualad pushed open the door and Rocket and Superboy slipped past him. Aqualad closed the door and they crept down the hall.

"_Hide!_" Superboy and Robin exclaimed at the same time, Robin using the security cameras and Superboy utilising his super hearing. The three heroes ducked into a tiny storage cupboard. The trio held their breath and ignored their close proximity to each other.

"So, Doc… figure out how that core thingy works yet?" a gruff man inquired.

"No, not yet. But it is intriguing. Every time I try to approach it, it lashes out. But I think I might have an idea of how to stop that," another man replied.

"Oh? Go on," the first man encouraged. The second man chuckled.

"I'll have to check how the metabolism reacts first, but anti-freeze might calm the core down enough for me to collect a sample to study at leisure and without danger. But until I can get some delivered, perhaps I will move on to that burst of power from the vocal chords. I've been reluctant as chances are they will be damaged in the process and I can't be sure that they'll repair," the second man explained. The first man hummed in understanding.

"I say, do it. Some of the things that creature shouted when it first arrived… makes me angry just thinking about it," the first man growled.

"Calm yourself. It was merely defending itself the only way it could. Personally I found the display amusing," the second man commented.

The two men walked around the corner and their voices faded. The trio of heroes glanced at each other.

"_I have a bad feeling,_" Rocket muttered. They waited a few more moments before stepping outside.

"_Robin. Which way?_" Aqualad inquired.

"_Guys… we found the room they're keeping Danny in. At least I'm pretty sure it's him. It's not nice in there. I've seen tamer crime scenes,_" Robin warned. Rocket and Superboy glanced at Aqualad. The Atlantean set his jaw and nodded.

"_Understood Robin. Which way?_" Aqualad repeated himself.

"_Down that hall, take the right corridor and the third door on your right,_" Robin answered. Aqualad took a steadying breath and led the way to the room Robin directed them to. They hesitated outside the door for a moment.

"_Is there anyone other than Danny inside?_" Superboy asked.

"_No. It's just him,_" Robin confirmed.

**Rescue is on the way!**

**How will Danny react? Will they get away with the halfa?**

**How long has Danny been with the Guys in White?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

Aqualad opened the door and they stepped inside. They were shocked by what they saw is the blinding fluorescent lights. Strapped to an examination table covered in green and red stains with glowing green bonds was a teenage boy. There was a cloth gag in his mouth, tied in place. He was only wearing a pair of ripped jeans and his shoes and shirt were absent. Rocket turned away and began to mutter about how the scientists were monsters here. Aqualad and Superboy were inclined to agree. Because the boy's jeans wasn't the only thing that was shredded. The boy's torso was a network of messy stitches and partway healed wounds.

Aqualad snapped out of the stunned trance and made his way over to the boy's side. There was an IV in his arm. Aqualad carefully removed it, terrified of hurting the boy further. He tapped Danny's face.

"Danny?" Aqualad called softly. Danny's head lolled to the side. He was unconscious.

"Superboy, help me with these bonds," Aqualad ordered. Superboy blinked and nodded. He crossed the room and ripped the bonds apart. Aqualad contemplated removing the gag but decided to leave it for now. If Danny woke up while they were escaping, he might draw attention to himself. If he was gagged, at least he would be muffled.

Once they freed Danny, Superboy gather up the slim teen and nodded to Aqualad. The trio of heroes carried Danny out of the lab and up the stairs.

"_Are we clear to leave the stairwell?_" Aqualad asked once they reached the ground floor.

"_Yeah, all cl-_" Robin began, but he was interrupted by an alarm. The three heroes shared a worried look.

"_What happened!?_" Miss Martian shouted.

"_Oh no! A scientist went to check on Danny. There was an alarm in the lab. Guys we need to get out of here_!" Robin explained, sounding angry at himself for the rookie mistake. Thundering footsteps came from the floor above them. Aqualad frowned and pulled out his water bearers.

"_Conner, get Danny out of here. He's first priority. Rocket lead the way and keep his path clear. I'll take the rear,_" Aqualad ordered.

Rocket threw the door open and held it for Superboy and Danny before flying down the corridor and used her kinetic energy power to keep Superboy and Danny safe. Aqualad ran after them, leaving a water trail to slip up the guards that ran after the heroes. They exploded out of the front doors and Robin and Zatanna escaped through the side door.

"Don't let them get away!" a man ordered and guards poured out of the exits and pursued them. Luckily, the five heroes and victim had back-up. Artemis shot her knock-out arrows at the crowds of guards. Kid Flash ran past the guards and tripped them up and stole their weapons, weird guns with green inlay. Miss Martian called her ship and levitated Superboy and Danny on board straight away. Rocket, using her powers, carried Robin, Aqualad and Zatanna up to the ship. Miss Martian then floated Artemis and Kid Flash up and released a blast of telekinetic energy. The guards were blown off their feet and she joined her team in the Bioship, taking the helm.

A few minutes later, the team had recovered from their adrenaline rush. Kaldur turned to Danny and undid the gag. The skin underneath look raw and red. Danny had obviously been wearing a gag for a long time. Robin knelt beside the poor boy and used his tech to make sure he was breathing and his heart was beating normally. Both were a little slow but it could be attributed to being unconscious. Robin performed a prick test on one of Danny's fingers and ran a quick analysis.

"I can't believe what they did there," Zatanna whispered. Both she and Rocket looked pale.

"It was terrible. I will be reporting this to Batman. I'm glad we got him out of there," Kaldur agreed.

"Is he okay? I mean, I know he's hurt but…" M'gann asked. A soft beep emitted from Robin's console. The boy wonder checked it and frowned.

"They drugged him. That's why he's out," Robin informed the team.

"With what?" Conner prompted. Robin's frown deepened.

"Something not used conventionally. And it's a high dose too. Danny won't be waking up until tomorrow," Robin answered.

"Will he be alright though?" Kaldur inquired. Robin shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably. But there may be side-effects. There's a reason this drug isn't used. But seeing how they obviously didn't want to lose him, I'd say he'll be fine," Robin decided. The team shared worried glances while M'gann steered them to Mount Justice.

They arrived at Mount Justice an hour later. M'gann took Danny straight to their seldom used medical facility. These were the worst injuries they'd dealt with there. It tended to be a simple broken bone or excessive exhaustion. Batman and Black Canary were waiting with Red Tornado to hear how the rescue mission went. Robin revealed that he copied the data the Guys in White had on Danny onto his console. The data had been sandboxed and was only accessible on site. Batman decided to get to work on that straight away after Kaldur explained what happened.

Red Tornado, having downloaded medical programmes into his interface years ago, went to the medical facility to check on Danny's condition. The adults were relieved to see no sign of infection in the older wounds and the newer wounds were already healing.

"He must have rapid healing," Black Canary commented as the adult heroes left the boy to rest in private.

"Yes, impressively rapid also. Those wounds will be healed in a matter of days at the current rate. However, it is a concern. His rapid healing may hide what he has endured," Red Tornado remarked. Black Canary hummed in agreement. As the team psychologist, she would be the one talking to the teen when he regained consciousness. She would help him through this.

**Danny's safe and in Young Justce's cave. But how will he react when he wakes up in Young Justice's medical facility?**

**Let me know your thoughts on the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

Danny slowly regained consciousness. As usual, he remained as still and quiet as possible. He had a terrible headache and felt nauseous. Probably a side-effect of the drug they used to sedate him. Sometimes that happened. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Danny realised something. The gag was gone! Cautiously, he pushed his tongue forward and felt no cloth. It really wasn't there. Danny strained his ears. No scientists either. They'd usually be in the room by now. They didn't like leaving him alone while conscious for any significant amount of time. He had to have been awake for ten minutes by now. The fuzziness was completely gone. The headache and nausea was still there. But the drug had fully worn off.

The drug he could understand. Maybe they miscalculated the dose. It didn't bother Danny. As long as he stayed still, he might actually get a chance to think of a way out. This was the longest break he'd had in a long time. He didn't count the time in between experiments when the scientists set everything up. Those were moments where he was scared and could do nothing about it. Watching the people in lab coats gather their equipment and try to figure out what they were going to do to him this time. But the fact that the gag was gone… it unnerved him. Either they had done something to him while he was out and he could no longer talk, or this was a test. Maybe he woke up early and would have to be awake through the procedure. It was enough to make his heart beat faster.

Then Danny realised something else. He was lying in a different position. It astounded him that it took him so long to realise that much. He'd been strapped to a table in the same position ever since he became their favourite project. He couldn't be sure if he hadn't been moved since. After all, they had to clean him at some point and he really had no idea where he was. Maybe he woke up early during these moments. Things he was usually unconscious for. He just had to stay still and he'd avoid more experiments. So he waited longer. He stayed still and measured his breathing. Gradually his headache faded and his nausea lessened.

While he waited for the scientists to find him awake, he thought about his situation. He couldn't check to see if he was in the same room or not without opening his eyes and he couldn't check to see if he was bound without moving. Both actions would alert anyone watching that he was awake. He knew people moved when asleep. But Danny hadn't been asleep for a long time. He'd been drugged and sedated instead. While it allowed him to rest. It wasn't the same thing. But his curiosity finally overruled his fear. He hadn't heard anyone since he woke up and if he wanted to grab his chance, he had to make a move.

Slowly, carefully, Danny opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. The room was dimly lit. Enough to allow someone to see but not enough to blind someone if they just woke up. That was odd. The scientists didn't usually care about stuff like that. Labs usually had bright lights or complete darkness. They were also noisy with the hums of machinery but the room Danny was in was silent. Danny tentatively flexed his wrists and waited for resistance. There was none! He wasn't bound. Danny scanned the room and frowned. The room didn't look like a lab. It looked more like a hospital. Maybe the scientists did something to him and messed up enough to warrant medical attention.

"Test, test," Danny whispered. He still had his voice. It was weird to hear it after so long. Especially since it wasn't laced with pain and fear. It was neutral. That was the first in a long time. Danny pushed himself into a sitting position and groaned as he felt the pain throb through his chest.

The sick scientist had tried to examine his ice core again last time he was awake. It was excruciating as every time the scientist poked it, Danny felt a burning chill through his body and after a while that pain stayed, particularly where his core was. Danny didn't recall everything that the scientist told him. He was in agony, forgive him for not being a great listener at the time. But he did remember hearing the scientist say something about coming back to the core when he figured out how to get a sample safely. The scientist then examined Danny's neck. The scientist even asked for Danny to hum as best he could. Danny had a bad feeling that his ghostly wail was the next power they wanted to understand.

Now sitting up, Danny scanned the room again and spotted the door. He bit his lip. Could it really be that easy? Surely it would be locked. But then again… he wasn't bound by anti-ghost cuffs now. He could turn intangible. Danny struggled to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over. With a quick breath and an excited smirk, Danny pushed himself to his feet. His knees instantly collapsed. Danny cursed himself silently. He should have known that would happen. He hadn't walked since… since he got caught. He didn't even know how long ago that was. He tried to pull himself up, but his arms were almost as weak as his legs. And it didn't help that his ribs weren't fully healed yet.

But Danny froze when he heard the noise he'd been dreading since he woke up. The door opened and footsteps rushed over to him.

"Oh! Danny, here let me help you," a kind female voice exclaimed. Danny blinked in shock. She called him Danny. The scientists never called him by name. The best he got was creature. And she wasn't angry at him. She wanted to help him. Danny chanced a look upwards to see the woman coming to him. It was a blonde woman wearing a short blue jacket and black leotard. She was not a scientist. But it was her eyes. Soft, caring blue eyes. Danny knew this woman wasn't going to hurt him. He allowed her to help him back onto the bed, still sitting up.

She sat down beside him and gave him a warm smile.

"Hello Danny, I'm Black Canary. You're safe here," she assured him. Danny gave her a cautious smile and nodded. He cleared his throat.

"How… how long have I been here?" Danny mumbled, his voice was cracked and weak from disuse. Black Canary's warm smile saddened at the sound, but she recovered her composure before Danny could notice her sympathy.

"The team brought you here last night. We thought you'd be out until much later. I'm sorry no one was here when you woke up. How do you feel?" Black Canary answered. Danny smiled at her and shook his head. He was glad there wasn't anyone around while he figured out that he wasn't strapped down anymore.

"It's fine. I'm… better than I have been in a while. Do you know how long I've been…?" Danny trailed off, unsure how to finish his question. Black Canary smiled at him in understanding.

"It's August Danny. You've been… gone for six weeks, almost seven," Black Canary replied.

She was astounded by how calm Danny was. But then again, this was a calm environment with one person. There was no way of knowing how he'd react in a louder environment. And since she didn't know him, she couldn't tell how he'd been affected yet. For all she knew, Danny was a loud and outspoken teen instead of this hesitant, shy person. Danny frowned to himself as he took in that new information. Almost seven weeks. It felt in ways longer. But in others shorter.

"How did you know I needed help?" Danny whispered.

"Your friends Sam and Tucker. We caught them trying to hack into the system to find you," Black Canary began and smiled at the expression on Danny's face at the mention of his friends. It was soft and comforting, he missed them.

"They told us what happened and we started to look for you," Black Canary resumed.

Black Canary bit her lip, nervous of what she had to ask next.

"I'm sorry Danny, but can you tell me anything about your time… away," Black Canary requested. Danny blinked in surprise and cleared his throat, it really hurt to talk. He wasn't in the mood for a long explanation.

"I'm sorry, I haven't spoken much. It hurts," Danny admitted. Black Canary nodded in understanding.

"It's fine Danny. Are you hungry? Did they give you much food?" Black Canary inquired. She had to know this much. She didn't want to end up making the boy sick with an inappropriate meal after all. Danny nodded.

"I think so. I haven't eaten in a long time. They gave me nutrients through an IV," Danny informed her. Black Canary blinked in surprise. Danny flashed her a grim smile.

"Couldn't eat with a gag and they kept it on at all times," Danny elaborated, although they hadn't fed him before the gag was put on him but the nutrients worked well enough for them so why should they take the time to hand feed him? Black Canary frowned.

"Why did they keep you gagged?" she asked, her raised voice betrayed her anger at the news. Danny understood that it wasn't at him though. He repressed the feelings of fear. Anger had meant pain for so long, almost seven weeks according to Black Canary.

"Mostly because I insulted them. But I have a power that uses my vocal chords too," Danny answered once he regained his composure. He really wanted this conversation to end. He wasn't used to talking so much. Even the scientists didn't ask him this many questions. They preferred to figure it out through experiments.

Black Canary digested this news and was about to ask another question before she saw Danny rubbing his throat. It wasn't to tell her of his discomfort, but she understood all the same. He was in pain from this talking. He didn't want to talk. Black Canary swallowed her curiosity and nodded.

"Alright Danny, I'll go find something for you to eat. Stay here though. You're not strong enough to walk yet. You're safe here, I promise," Black Canary assured him before leaving the room.

**So Danny knows he's been rescued but what will be their next step? **

**How will Danny react when he learns that his parents know his secret?**

**How will he react to the team when he meets them?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

Batman sat at his massive supercomputer in his Bat Cave. The information Robin gathered from the Guys in White was disturbing. The scientists had treated Danny like an animal incapable of feeling pain. It made the man's blood boil to read of the numerous experiments they'd performed on the boy. They'd taken samples of everything but brain matter. They'd hadn't gone near the boy's head in case they caused permanent damage. He could see that the Guys in White had wanted to keep him in close to perfect condition for as long as possible.

But the things they did do. They were barbaric. Autopsies while conscious without pain relief. Intentionally causing pain and injury to see how the boy healed. Injecting dangerous solutions into him to see how he reacted. There were reports of how the boy had almost drowned in his own vomit and blood. They even studied his reproductive system, taking samples and reactions. They were planning to study the boy's vocal chords next. Batman growled as he read the planned procedure, fury bubbling in his stomach. They were going to dissect the boy's vocal chords while he was awake and make him talk while they saw the inner workings. There were reports of experiments done in repetition and duplicated while in different forms. Batman wasn't sure if he believed the idea of the boy being half-ghost, but he definitely had a second form.

Batman clenched his teeth and began to look further into the Guys in White. He was going to get these people shut down. Experimenting on a teenaged boy. A human boy no less. Not that Batman thought it would be any less vile for those despical things to have been done to a Martian or another alien. But it would have made more sense. This was a human dissected repeatedly by other humans. Batman began to type a strongly worded e-mail to the president revealing what the Guys in White had done. But he was interrupted by an incoming call.

Batman answered the call and an image of Black Canary appeared.

"Canary," Batman greeted her with a slight nod.

"Batman, I'd thought you'd like to know that Danny's awake," Black Canary informed him. Batman blinked in surprise.

"He is? I thought we predicted that he wouldn't wake up until tonight," Batman muttered. Black Canary nodded.

"I know. But he is awake. I heard a noise in the medical facility and found Danny on the ground trying to get up. He obviously thought he was still captive and tried to escape but was too weak to walk," Black Canary explained. Batman nodded. It was understandable. The boy had been drugged when they rescued him and he had been strapped to a table for six weeks.

"How is he?" Batman asked, concern laced his serious voice. Black Canary smiled at the sound. Batman always seemed gruff and imposing but underneath it all, he cared. He wouldn't be a hero if he didn't.

"A lot better than I feared. He's surprisingly calm too. But he can't talk much. It hurts him. I have M'gann making him some soup. She wanted to help… Batman, they didn't feed him. They kept him alive with an IV," Black Canary told him, an angry scowl tainting her soft features. Batman nodded. He was aware. He'd read the report of how Danny had attacked using an unusual scream. It sounded a lot like Black Canary's canary cry. But since then, they'd kept him gagged at all times. Batman had to fight not to scowl at the memory of reading the punishment Danny had endured. Hours of exposure to electricity, ecto-ranium and blood blossoms. Batman wasn't sure exactly what ecto-ranium and blood blossoms were but they sounded a lot like kryptonite for Superman and Superboy in the reports.

"Good, I'm on my way. Perhaps having something moisten his throat will help his speech. I need to explain a few things and I suspect he'll have questions," Batman informed the heroine. Black Canary nodded and ended the call. Batman frowned at his half-written e-mail. Danny mattered more. The boy was confused and scared. The e-mail could wait another couple of hours. He got up to his feet and walked to the Zeta tube.

In a flash of light, the caped crusader arrived in Mount Justice. Batman marched through the stone corridors. Most of the team were off. They were planned to come in later to get de-briefed from the rescue. But they hadn't expected Danny to wake up so early. It was obvious now that the boy had a faster metabolism than normal which made sense when his rapid healing was taken into consideration. As most of the team were doing their own things outside the cave, Zatanna and M'gann were the only ones aware that Danny was awake so far because they were in the kitchen when Black Canary went to get some food for Danny.

Black Canary met up with Batman just outside the medical facility in the cave, carrying a steaming bowl of soup. It was a small portion. That was for the best. Despite not being starved, Danny's stomach wasn't used to digesting food anymore. They entered the room and that Danny hadn't moved from the bed. At first, he seemed calm and relaxed but then he saw Batman in the gloom, he tensed. It was understandable. Batman was an imposing figure. It was something he couldn't really help. So he kept his distance. He didn't want to frighten Danny unnecessarily. Black Canary helped Danny to hold the bowl of soup and to eat it. His arms were too weak to be able to carry the bowl by himself.

Once the boy finished his first meal in weeks, Batman took a seat a little closer. Danny hadn't taken his eyes off Batman for more than a few seconds for the entire time. Batman could see the boy was nervous. And yet, apart from being a little tense, he hid his fear well. There were only slight signs of his fear, the main one being how he watched Batman. It wasn't always obvious, but Batman could see it.

"Hello Danny, I'm Batman. I'm not going to hurt you alright. You're safe here. And I'm going to make sure the people that did this to you are brought to justice," Batman began. Danny frowned at the man as Black Canary put the empty bowl down on a nearby table.

"How?" Danny asked. Batman could see why Black Canary was angry. The teen's voice was cracked and weak. It was to be expected due to how little he had spoken, but it was still difficult to hear.

"I'm going to report them. Once the rest of the government learns that they kidnapped and experimented on a young boy they'll hav-" Batman explained.

"No," Danny interrupted, surprisingly firm. Batman and Black Canary blinked in shock.

"No?" Batman repeated. There was no anger or impatience, just confusion.

"I don't want everyone to know what I am," Danny elaborated in a soft voice.

"But Danny, if I don't tell others, then I can't shut them down," Batman reasoned. Danny bit his lip and looked torn.

"I'm… I'm not ready for people to know," he whispered. Batman and Black Canary shared a bewildered look.

"Your parents already know about you Danny. Your friends and sister had to tell them," Black Canary informed him. Danny looked up, eyes wide in worry and fear.

"Don't worry. I don't think they're angry. We were informed that they were upset and felt guilty," Black Canary attempted to soothe the teen.

Danny shook his head.

"I never wanted that," he whispered. Batman frowned.

"What do you want then Danny? We're not going to force you to do anything you don't want," Batman inquired. Danny looked up to him and shrugged.

"Not sure. Never thought that far," Danny admitted. Batman understood what he meant. Danny had lost his secret identity. Batman had researched Danny's second form. Danny Phantom. Danny hadn't focused on that until now because he'd only been thinking of how to escape his torture. But now he had to figure out what losing his secret identity meant.

"Perhaps we should wait before we act on this. You need to recover and heal. I haven't informed your family and friends that you're safe yet. I'll wait until you give the go ahead to get further authorities involved. Alright?" Batman relented. Danny smiled with gratitude and nodded in agreement. Batman bobbed his head with a sense of finality. Batman left the room, Black Canary staying behind to make sure that Danny wasn't going to get sick from his meal. And then she would find the boy some new clothes.

**So Danny isn't allowing Batman to pursue and shut down the Guys in White. **

**But what will his family and friends say when Batman let's them know the news?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	10. Chapter 10

Jazz got up from her seat in the living room. She'd been searching on the internet for Danny Phantom sightings with her laptop. She'd only gotten a conspiracy site following the times Danny intervened in history. She still had the hope that her little brother would escape. Her parents, guilt-ridden since learning the truth about their son, were in the lab trying to build trackers in a desperate attempt to find Danny. There wasn't a plan after that. Finding Danny was the only goal. She strolled to the front door and hid her worry for her brother. If they wanted to protect his secret, they had to stick with their cover story. Danny was staying with Maddie's sister, Alicia, in Spittoon. She answered the door and blinked in shock. Batman. The caped crusader of Gotham city was on their doorstep.

He smiled at her and wordlessly stepped inside. In a daze, Jazz shut the door and stared at the black-clad hero.

"Are your parents here?" Batman asked. He'd been as careful as possible to not be seen before he got to Fenton Works. Jazz shut her gaping mouth and nodded.

"Ye-yeah. They're um they're in the lab," Jazz stammered.

"Could you get them? I need to discuss something with you all," Batman requested. Jazz numbly nodded and rushed to the lab.

"Mom, dad. I can't believe I'm saying this, but… Batman is here and wants to talk to us," Jazz announced to the two jumpsuit clad inventors. Her parents looked up.

"Batman?" Maddie repeated. Jazz nodded.

"I don't know why he's here, but he wants to talk to us," Jazz repeated. The parents hesitated to leave their projects behind but followed their daughter upstairs and invited Batman to sit down in the kitchen.

"We found Danny," Batman told them. The reaction was instantaneous. Maddie's eyes swelled with relief and Jack's serious scowl lessened. They hadn't smiled in weeks. It was uncharacteristic, especially for Jack, he hadn't even bothered to restock on fudge.

"Is he here?" Maddie managed. Batman shook his head.

"No, he's very weak. I'd like to ensure that he regains his strength before he leaves our protection," Batman replied.

"Is… is he hurt?" Jazz whispered, understanding the underlining worry.

"He needs to recover. But he seems to heal quickly. His injuries aren't the concern. He's physically weak and he hasn't been properly eating recently," Batman explained. He knew this was going to be difficult. But this was the boy's family. They deserved to know his condition.

"What I have to tell you… the facts are your son was tortured. The specifics are gruesome. If you wish to know, I'll tell you but I doubt you do. But they kept him gagged and gave him nutrients through an IV. He hasn't exercised at all since he was taken," Batman informed them.

Maddie gasped and tears fell down her face.

"My poor baby. Where is he?" Maddie whispered. Batman bit his tongue, he had to remain calm and neutral.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. If anyone knew his location it may put him in danger of being taken again. Danny has asked me not to tell people about what he is," Batman answered.

"What?! But… Batman, we've been worried sick. We have to see our son!" Jack thundered. Batman wasn't fazed.

"I understand your concern for your son Mr. Fenton. But Danny has been through a lot. We need to approach this carefully. I don't want to do anything that could in any way possibly upset him. Which is why I haven't gotten the Guys in White shut down and members arrested already. Danny wants to keep his secret," Batman explained.

"No! I want those monsters to pay! They stole our son and-and tortured him. They deserve to be hanged!" Maddie shouted.

"Mom! Danny doesn't want people to know that he's half-ghost. We should respect that," Jazz interjected.

"But-" Maddie began.

"She's right Mrs. Fenton. I told Danny that I could get them shut down but I had to tell others what they did. Danny point-blank refused," Batman added. Maddie and Jack looked like they wanted to argue.

"Mom, dad. I want justice for what they did to Danny too. But… Danny's been through enough. If Danny doesn't want people to know he's a halfa, then we shouldn't tell them. He's the one that's been through everything," Jazz reasoned to her parents. Batman considered the girl as a single tear fell from Jazz's eye.

"I already breached that trust in telling you guys against Danny's wishes. I don't know what Danny's going to say when he finds out you know, but… I don't want to make things worse for him," Jazz admitted.

"We've already told him that his parents know about him. We thought if he knew they knew, he'd be willing to pursue this. But he didn't," Batman revealed. Jazz turned to the dark knight.

"How… how did he take it?" Jazz ventured.

"He looked worried. He was upset to hear that is parents felt guilty. He's very quiet right now. Talking too much causes him discomfort. He hasn't been able to speak much," Batman answered. He didn't know how Danny felt about his parents learning his secret. But he did seem distressed at the time. Jazz nodded to herself.

"Danny's gotten good at hiding how he feels. Especially since getting his powers. If you could tell that much, he's probably terrified of how you guys feel about him," Jazz informed the table, nodding to her parents.

"Why? He's our son! We love him," Jack challenged.

Jazz bit her lip and glanced at Batman. This was going to sound terrible but she had to explain how Danny felt to her parents and maybe help Batman understand her brother better. If she wasn't allowed to go to her little brother, then this was the best she could do.

"You threatened to rip Phantom apart molecule by molecule. Every day for a long time. Danny knows you guys love him but… there's always been a fear that your love for Fenton mightn't be enough to protect Phantom. I've tried to convince him to tell you guys but he was always worried that you'd try to "fix" him. He doesn't need fixing," Jazz explained, chosing her words with utmost care. She didn't want to make her parents feel even guiltier but this was the truth. Jazz could understand why Danny didn't want to reveal his secret in return for justice.

After hearing a little about how Danny felt about his parents learning the truth, Batman could understand the boy better. He'd lost his secret, became a lab rat and was tortured for almost seven weeks. Having feared this much from his own parents _prior_ to his ordeal. His reluctance in having his secret revealed further was more than understandable. Maddie and Jack hung their heads guiltily. They couldn't even say that the fear was unfounded. They did say those things. They had considered what they could do to help their son with his ghost problem. But right now, they just wanted to see their son and tell him that they loved him.

"Please Batman, we… we just want our son back," Maddie whispered with a soft sob. Batman pushed back his own sadness at this sight.

"I promise you Mrs. Fenton, when he's ready, you can see him. But are there any things I need to know about Danny before I go? Allergies? Special requirements?" Batman replied.

"Danny hides his insecurities well Batman. And he rarely talks about things that bother him. But his powers are affected by his emotions. When he gets really angry, sometimes his eyes will glow green. When he's really scared, I've seen that the temperature can drop. Not noticeably unless you're looking for it. But, that's all I can say. Getting him to open up is nearly impossible and he's constantly hiding his problems. But flying helps to calm him down," Jazz explained. She had to get Batman to understand that Danny needed his space, even if he shouldn't be left alone. She didn't know what kind of condition her sibling was in but these were constants she'd spotted. Batman nodded, committing the tips to memory. They were odd stipulations but Jazz knew they were invaluable pieces of information. Jazz stood up.

"I could pack a few things for you to take to Danny as well. A few things from home might help him feel better. And we can write letters to him for you to deliver," Jazz suggested. Batman smiled.

"That sounds like a good idea, Jasmine. I'm sure it won't be long before you can see him. But I don't want to rush into anything," Batman retorted.

"Call me Jazz," Jazz called over her shoulder as she went upstairs to pack a few things for her brother.

**There you are. Danny's family know that Danny's in Batman's protection now. **

**Also, they've covered for Danny's absence by saying he's in Spittoon with his aunt. This is mentioned periodically throughout the story, particularly when the story involves Amity Park. **

**There was a question where someone asked that couldn't Batman just shut down the Guys in White regardless of Danny's secret because of the experiments they do. I believe that unless Batman can prove that the Guys in White broke the law by experimenting on a human, the simple but effective response from the Guys in White will be that they were doing their job, catching, destroying and researching ghosts. So that's why Batman doesn't just go public with other experiments and try to shut down the organisation.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	11. Chapter 11

Black Canary assessed how weak Danny had become and assigned simple stretches to help the halfa to strengthen his arms and legs again. Batman delivered the bag from home later that day. He could tell that Jazz packed it. She put in a thermos and a pair of Fenton phones. Just in case. Danny smirked. He could always count on his big sister to look out for him. Because now that he was free, he had to be on his guard against ghost attacks.

He opened his letters from his parents, friends and sister. Jazz used her letter to encourage him to open up and talk about what happened to someone. Sam and Tucker explained everything they'd done to try and find him. Including that they even went to Vlad but the older halfa had no leads. He did say that he'd look into it but as a halfa himself he had to tread carefully. Meaning, it was too dangerous for him to get involved. But it was the last two letters, one from his mother and the other from his father, that moved him to tears. They accepted him. They were guilty and upset that he hadn't been comfortable enough to tell them the truth himself. But they didn't blame him.

He wiped the tears away and got dressed in his own clothes Jazz packed for him with a little help from Black Canary. Jeans, his spare sneakers, fresh underwear and another white and red shirt. It meant so much to him to be able to read his loved ones' words of comfort and wear clean clothes. He wished he could see them but Batman explained that Danny had to stay in Mount Justice for his own protection and his family and friends couldn't come to him. Besides he knew he looked bad. He had wounds across his torso and there was a small scar on his arm from the IV that his rapid healing hadn't prevented. His torso was almost healed though. Black Canary had taken out the stitches but his ribs still hurt, although they would be healed by tomorrow.

He heard voices outside the medical facility but no one else visited him. He was glad for the solitude. He hadn't had it for so long. The silence and peace was amazing after his hell with the Guys in White. That night, for the first time in seven weeks, he fell asleep. He dreamt. He woke up numerous times throughout the night crying in fear and his heart hammering in his chest from nightmares of his torture. But the fact that he could chose to be conscious or not meant a lot to him. Black Canary stayed in the room that night and had offered to give him something to help him sleep but Danny would take the nightmares if it meant he could sleep naturally. Of course, that morning he wasn't as well rested as he would have been if he had taken something, but the fact that he had that luxury was pleasing.

Black Canary helped him eat a bowl of oatmeal. Before his ordeal, he'd never been a fan of the grey sludge, but now… it was best thing in the world. That and the soup he was given. Black Canary helped him to drink some water. Again, water was now one of his favourite things in the world. Then Black Canary helped Danny with his strengthening exercises and asked if he wanted to talk about anything. Danny refused to speak of his nightmares or what he'd been through. He answered any questions Black Canary had. For example she asked how he went to the bathroom and if they allowed him any breaks. Her anger at his treatment frightened him, but like before, he understood it wasn't towards him. But that throaty growl to her words made his gut clench in terror regardless. Her frowns and scowls made him nervous and it took a lot of will power to not shrink away from her. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. But anger had meant pain for so long. It was going to take time to repress that response.

The next couple of days followed in the same manner. Bad nights of sleep, days of peaceful silence and strengthening exercises. He progressed quickly. He attributed it to the food and rest. As a halfa he was a lot stronger by nature. Not physically in his human form but in stamina. And after the president's test in gym. Sam made sure that Danny and Tucker wouldn't flunk the class or come close to flunking again. Besides, Danny learnt his lesson back then. Getting shrunk and chased by Skulker when powerless with Dash… it was a great motivator. After the third day, Danny was strong enough to take a shower by himself in the adjoining bathroom and become a lot more independent. It was heaven. To feel clean. Smell soap. Be in a different room than syringes. It was a small detail, but it meant a lot to Danny.

Physically, he seemed fine. But he knew he wasn't. Loud noises frightened him. An angry look almost paralysed him with fear. The nightmares were horrible. His appetite was coming back, he actually felt hungry again. But while he longed to get away from his bed and explore and maybe even have a flight. He didn't want to leave. This room felt safe. It was a constant and he knew nothing could get to him there. So he didn't leave the room. He sat on his bed going through his ghost files on his computer, played videos games Jazz sent him.

He could always use the laptop to contact his loved ones…but he wasn't ready to talk to his family or friends. As much as he wanted to see them and go home, he knew they'd want to know what happened and he relived those horrors enough at night. He didn't want to have to tell them what he'd been through. It was hard enough to know it happened, if he had to explain everything… he'd break down. He knew he would. So he kept quiet. His throat was much better. It no longer hurt to talk. It was suspected that his preferred mutism was due to not speaking for so long. His initial pain was believed to have stemmed from his constant screams and lack of drinking anything. But all things considered… Danny was happy. He was no longer in agony. He was no longer bound. He was no longer captive.

**So Danny's a little bit reclusive but I think we all can understand that. After being a lab rat for so long, privacy would be amazing. **

**But Danny has been affected by his ordeal, as mentioned in the chapter. But there will be more evidence later in the story. **

**In case anyone was wondering, this story is about Danny's recovery after his time with the Guys in White. **

**The next chapter may seem a bit like a filler but it introduces a new character that will have a big role later on. So bear with me. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

"So, any sign of Danny coming out soon?" Artemis asked Zatanna as they watched Kaldur and Conner spar. Zatanna shook her head.

"No, but Black Canary seems happy with his progress. So maybe soon," Zatanna answered. The archer nodded in thought before turning to her friends.

"Do you want to talk about what you guys saw in there?" Artemis inquired. Both Zatanna and Raquel had had a glimpse of Danny's imprisonment but neither wanted to talk about it. Conner didn't talk about it either but he never told anyone how he felt about things and Kaldur was the oldest and most mature. The only ones in the dark were Artemis and Wally. M'gann found out from Conner.

"Trust me girl, you don't want to know. I can't even imagine what Danny must have gone through," Zatanna muttered with a slight shudder.

Artemis frowned but didn't push the matter. The fact that no one would say and the mess Danny was in when they got away… maybe it was better she didn't find out. Kaldur swept out Conner's legs and the clone fell to the ground.

"Aqualad wins," a computerised voice announced. Kaldur helped Conner back up to his feet.

"Damn, what happened?" Conner grumbled.

"You left your right side open when you went to punch me. So when I feinted left, I had the perfect opening," Kaldur explained with a smirk. Conner nodded.

"I'll have to work on that. Can't let you beat me like that again," Conner retorted with a challenging smile. Artemis stepped on to the ring.

"Okay, who wants to go a round with me?" Artemis called. Raquel stepped forward but their spar was interrupted by a holographic screen appearing overhead. Batman appeared.

"Team, I'm afraid I have some bad news. There was an accident on the Logan animal reserve in Qurac. One fatality. Marie Logan," Batman announced. M'gann gasped and tears filled her eyes.

"What's going to happen to Garfield?" Robin probed. Batman nodded.

"He is going to live at Mount Justice," Batman answered. The team frowned in confusion. It wasn't that they weren't happy to have the boy with them, but he was a civilian.

"When Garfield learned of his mother's death… the latent blood donated by M'gann activated and his physical appearance changed. He would no longer fit in with normal society and it seems irreversible," Batman expanded.

"What kind of changes?" Wally prompted.

An image of a healthy normal boy with blue eyes and brown hair appeared.

"This is what Garfield Logan looked like prior to the blood transfusion. And this is his appearance today," Batman answered and an image of a similar boy with green hair, skin and eyes appeared. A monkey tail was also visible and he had grown fur on his arms and legs. M'gann gasped.

"I didn't mean… I thought that only his eyes changed colour. It was the only way to save him," M'gann stammered. Conner pulled the Martian into a comforting hug, silencing her guilty protests.

"No one's blaming you M'gann. We were there. There was no other choice and it seemed to be a safe procedure," Robin soothed her. Batman nodded.

"It seems to have only manifested itself now due to the emotional stress of learning of his mother's death. He was the one to find the crash," Batman added.

M'gann wiped away her tears.

"Okay, when he is getting here?" M'gann asked, recovering her composure. Batman nodded.

"His flight to America was today. He should be arriving within the next hour or so. I pulled some strings and got him a private jet so that he wouldn't have be in public more than necessary. He's landing in New York," Batman explained. M'gann nodded and turned to go to her Bioship to pick up her blood brother. Conner ran after her.

"Batman, was it foul play?" Robin inquired. Batman sighed and nodded.

"The brake line was tampered with and Bialyan soldiers caused a stampede. The crash was ordered by Queen Bee. Marie Logan's car drove over a cliff and crashed into the bottom of the waterfall. She died instantly," Batman revealed.

Robin and Wally shared a sad look. They'd met Marie. She had been a very caring and devoted mother. M'gann cared about both Logans. Marie had been the star of "Hello Megan", the television show that M'gann based her human self on. Garfield, during their visit, had been injured and was in desperate need of a blood transfusion. With the only blood available being too far away, they resorted to M'gann shapeshifting her blood to match Garfield's. His eyes had changed colour but it had seemed to be the only side effect.

The team were silent for a moment out of respect for Marie's memory.

"Is Danny going to be living here as well?" Artemis inquired. Until now, they'd only heard that Danny required special care and would be treated at Mount Justice. Batman considered the question.

"For now, yes. He's in protection and he needs to recover. Until I'm sure he has fully healed and that he is no longer in immediate danger, he will be staying at Mount Justice," Batman answered. The team nodded.

"So, what are we going to do to shut down those monsters?" Raquel asked. Batman shook his head.

"That is up to Danny. He doesn't wish to bring what happened to him to the public eye," Batman informed them.

"What?! But… they did horrible things to him right? Why would he want to protect them?" Zatanna spluttered. Batman shook his head.

"He isn't protecting them Zatanna. He's protecting his secret. He doesn't wish to make it publically known that he's half-ghost which would be necessary to explain what happened," Batman explained. The team were speechless. Batman ended the call once he was sure they didn't have any further questions. The team shared astounded looks. But they decided to prepare for Garfield's arrival. They would need to get a bedroom ready for him.

A couple of hours later, M'gann, Conner and Garfield arrived. M'gann had an arm around the younger boy's shoulders and Conner carried the bags Garfield had brought with him.

"So, this is your secret hideout huh?" Garfield muttered with mild interest. M'gann nodded.

"Yeah. This is Mount Justice. Me and Conner live here. With Zatanna and now you," M'gann replied. Garfield gave a small smile. As if on cue, Wally ran over to them, skidding to a stop in front of them and gave Garfield a sad look.

"Hey Gar, sorry about your mom. Do you want to talk about it?" Wally offered. Garfield shook his head.

"No thanks. So, you're Kid Flash?" Garfield changed the subject. Wally tapped his head.

"Duh! You've never seen our civilian selves. Yeah, I'm Kid Flash, or Wally West. Whichever. Come on, I'll show you to your room. The rest are busy setting it up," Wally explained, back to his usual loud self and zoomed off down the corridor. Garfield frowned.

"Are we meant to be running after him?" Garfield questioned and glanced at Conner and M'gann.

"Nah, someone else will come in a minute. Wally's always like that. He'll probably trip over in a minute," Conner replied with a smirk but his smile dropped when Garfield remained solemn.

As they suspected, Robin walked down the corridor a few minutes later.

"Hey Gar, how are you doing?" Robin greeted the boy. Garfield shrugged. Robin nodded in understanding.

"Not sure if you recognise me out of the cape, I'm Robin. I don't tell anyone my secret identity. Batman's orders. But… if you want to talk, I'm here. I lost my parents when I was young too," Robin offered. Garfield gave a weak appreciative smile but didn't say anything further. Robin nodded and led the way down the corridor into a busy room beside M'gann's.

"Great, Conner, mind moving this for us?" Zatanna called spotting the super strong teen. Conner grunted in agreement and moved the bed to where the girls pointed. M'gann put a reassuring hand on the grieving boy's shoulder.

"It's alright Gar, these are friends and my team. Everyone! This is Garfield," M'gann announced.

Everyone paused in the redecorating and smiled at Garfield. Garfield rubbed his furry neck and waved to the team members.

"Call me Gar," Garfield mumbled.

"Hey Gar, I'm Kaldur'ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur. I'm team leader," Kaldur greeted the boy and shook his hand. Garfield smiled and nodded. Zatanna, Artemis and Raquel introduced themselves next.

"Hey Gar, I'll give you a tour alright," M'gann offered and she led her blood brother out of the room. Garfield didn't pay much attention to the cave. It was all so overwhelming.

"This is the medical facility but right now no one's allowed inside," M'gann informed him, regaining the boy's attention. Garfield frowned and turned to the Martian.

"Why?" he asked.

"Oh, well you see almost a week ago we saved a boy from a really horrible place and he's staying in there. We want to let him decide to meet us rather than force ourselves on him, you know. His name's Danny," M'gann explained with a sad smile. Garfield considered the door.

"Come on Gar, you haven't met Wolf and Sphere yet," M'gann interjected and pulled the boy away from the door.

**Yep. Garfield Logan has joined the heroes in Mount Justice. **

**I thought it would be nice to introduce the boy in this story as he just suddenly appeared in the second season of Young Justice. **

**As you might have noticed, this story is subject to big time skips. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

Garfield sat in his new room. He'd been in the cave for three days now. The others had all gone out. Zatanna and M'gann had a girls' day out planned with Artemis and Raquel and Conner had gone off with Sphere and Wolf. Garfield was invited but he would rather have a little time alone. At least that was until he got annoyed by his new monkey tail. Now he was just frustrated and angry at himself.

"Come on! M'gann can shapeshift at will! Why can't I get rid of this stupid tail?!" Garfield growled. He tried to remember how exactly he'd gotten it in the first place but the instant he recalled that terrible day, he was overcome with grief. The waterfall came back to him. Complete with the smoking heap in the water.

Garfield shook his head and sighed. He left his room and walked through the cave, tears falling freely. Why did everything have to change? He was happy with his mother on the reserve caring for the animals. Why did that crash have to happen? If he had been faster, or stronger, maybe he could have saved her. He could have swam out instead of collapsing in despair. Now… even M'gann's human form saddened him. That was the main reason he didn't want to go with her out of the cave. That, and he'd have to come up with a disguise of some kind and be on constant watch.

Danny sat in the medical facility. He was reading the latest letters he got from his family and friends. There were a couple of requests for a reply but what could he say? Hey, doing better, too afraid to leave the medical facility, write soon. That was stupid. And he wasn't ready to talk about what he'd been through. He learned that he'd been away from Amity Park for eight weeks now. Two months since the day he got caught. He sighed to himself. He put away the letters and stood up. Black Canary had told him to keep up with his exercises so he flexed his arms like she showed him. He didn't think it was necessary anymore. He had no problems moving around or carrying things. He walked as he stretched and he heard a loud sniffle. Danny froze. He turned to the door.

There was another muffled sob. Danny bit his lip. Someone was upset. Black Canary had told him about Garfield. The poor kid just lost his mother and changed into something most people would be afraid of. Danny edged closer to the door and hovered his hand over the handle. His breathing sped up and his heart started to hammer in his chest. This was a safe place. If he left… he didn't know what to expect. What if he got trapped again? What if the Guys in White found him? For all he knew, this room shielded his ecto-signature. But another loud sniffle outside the door put a stop to his panic attack.

"Come on Fenton, you have to leave at some point," he whispered. And before he lost his nerve, he put his hand on the handle and opened the door.

Taking a steadying breath, Danny stepped out of the room and spotted a green, furry boy with a tail. Danny could see why people might be frightened of this boy. Poor kid. Lost his mother and now any chance at a normal life. He edged over to the boy and put a gentle hand on the crying boy's shoulder.

"Hey, Garfield right? You alright?" Danny asked. Garfield looked up in surprise and wiped away his tears.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Garfield stuttered in a rush, not even realising who was asking. But a second later, he realised that he didn't recognise this teen trying to comfort him. Danny gave Garfield a tentative smile.

"I'm Danny. Sorry if I startled you. But I thought you could use someone," Danny muttered. Garfield shook his head.

"N-no I'm sorry. I didn't even realise that I was outside your room. Sorry," Garfield mumbled, embarrassed. Danny shrugged.

"It's fine. I wasn't doing anything important," Danny assured. This felt so natural. So right. A conversation with someone that wasn't trying to make him open up about his time in the lab.

Danny stood up and helped Garfield up too.

"So, what were you doing before… you know I found you," Danny ventured. Garfield scoffed in annoyance.

"Trying to get rid of my tail. But when I tried to figure out how I got it, I thought about my mom and…" Garfield answered. Danny nodded in understanding.

"You don't have to go into specifics but how did you get your tail?" Danny asked. He just wanted to help this boy. He'd had his share of problems in his early days too. Some with his own ghost tail. Garfield sniffled.

"I'm not sure. I heard a crash and went to check it out and I saw… my… mom and-and I turned green," Garfield explained, his voice cracking with emotion. Danny nodded.

"You got upset. Which means your powers are affected by your thoughts," Danny realised. Garfield blinked and looked at Danny.

"Wait, you're not scared of me? Most people are a little freaked out by this," Garfield muttered and motioned to his furry self. Danny shrugged.

"Nope. Appearance doesn't really mean much to me. It's actions that I listen to," Danny replied. At first, he'd believed every ghost, but him, was evil. But then he met Wulf. That was a real eye-opener. A massive werewolf with vicious looking claws capable of only speaking in Esperanto… and yet he was nice. Then there was Frostbite. A furry white snow monster that had a loud infectious laugh and was always smiling. Danny knew not to judge a book by its cover. Garfield smiled at Danny.

"You know, I might be able to help you. If you want," Danny offered. Garfield nodded.

"Please, anything but thinking about…" Garfield agreed, excited at first before growing sad again at the near mention of his deceased mother.

"I haven't had a tour yet. You want to show me where we should go," Danny admitted. He liked this kid. Besides, Black Canary was bound to be nearby. He'd been worried about nothing and it felt good to be out of the medical facility. And if he could make Garfield's problem a little easier, he was more than happy to try.

**See, Garfield is a very important character. **

**And Danny is out of the medical facility! How long will it last? Will he meet the Young Justice team? How will they react!?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

Garfield led Danny to the training room and turned to the older boy. Garfield was surprised how normal he was. If he hadn't heard that Danny had been through some kind of trauma, he wouldn't have known.

"Okay, so, before I say anything… you're sure that what happened to you is possible to control?" Danny asked. Garfield shrugged.

"I got like this because M'gann gave me her blood when I got hurt. She's a Martian. Martian's can shapeshift. So I think this is a variant of that. Only… I don't know how to control it yet," Garfield explained. Danny nodded in thoughtful understanding.

"So, what do you want to happen?" Danny inquired. Garfield frowned and yanked his tail around.

"I want to get rid of this. It's annoying!" Garfield answered. Danny repressed his sudden wave of fear. He knew that Garfield wasn't angry at him. But that damn response was still there. He was getting a lot better at controlling that response though.

Danny bit his lip as he contemplated what Garfield's next move should be, trying to remember how he managed to tame his own powers in the past.

"Alright, try this. Try to tell the tail to go away. Focus everything in your being in getting rid of it," Danny suggested. Garfield raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Is it really that easy?" Garfield retorted. Danny shrugged.

"Probably. These things usually are but take a lot of practice to get right," Danny admitted. Garfield shrugged. It was worth a try. So he closed his eyes and focused on one thought.

"Get rid of my monkey tail," he chanted to himself.

"Oh! Um… that didn't work," Danny muttered with a clear smirk in his voice. Garfield opened his eyes and realised he was even shorter than Danny.

He looked down and yelped in shock.

"I'm a monkey!" Garfield shouted. Indeed he was. A small green monkey. Danny chuckled.

"Well at least you match your tail now," Danny attempted. Garfield scowled at him. Danny fought the sudden urge to cower but his laughter stopped.

"Ugh! How did I go wrong?!" Garfield exclaimed frustrated.

"Well, what were you thinking?" Danny asked once he got his irrational terror under control.

"Get rid of my monkey tail," Garfield answered. Danny bit his lip and nodded.

"That's where you went wrong. You were thinking of not being a monkey. You should have been thinking of being just Garfield," Danny explained. Garfield's scowl lessened.

"Oh. Alright, I'll try that then," Garfield muttered, without his knowledge he also put Danny at ease.

The next time Garfield opened his eyes, he was back to his previous form, complete with monkey tail. Garfield sighed.

"Now what? Am I stuck like this? I can only change how monkey-like I am?" Garfield grumbled. Danny considered Garfield.

"Do you have a name for your new appearance?" Danny inquired. Garfield looked up and shook his head.

"How would naming this help?" Garfield asked.

"Well, it might help you to differentiate in your head between this you and the you without a tail," Danny answered. It had helped him a lot when he was figuring out how to change between his two forms. Maybe that was Garfield's issue. Garfield held his chin, thinking about Danny's suggestion.

"What name do you suggest?" Garfield muttered. Danny shrugged.

"Green wonder?" Danny offered. Garfield snorted.

"Green wonder? I don't think so. This is not wonderful," Garfield retorted. Danny smirked.

"Alright, what about monkey boy?" Danny suggested. Garfield smiled but shook his head.

"Nah, I kind of think I might end up changing into a monkey by accident with a name like that," Garfield replied. Garfield looked up at Danny.

"What do you think of fur boy?" Garfield asked. Danny folded his arms.

"Yeah, if you want to be called fur ball all the time," Danny pointed out. Garfield nodded.

"Right, didn't think of that," Garfield muttered. Danny smiled.

"Hey, you'll figure it out. When you hear it, you'll know it fits. But it might take time Garfield. Just be patient," Danny reassured the younger boy. Garfield smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Danny. And call me Gar. You really helped me," Garfield replied. Danny smiled.

"Recognised Artemis B07 Miss Martian B05 Rocket B09 Zatanna B08," a computerised voice announced, startling both boys, Danny more than Garfield. Four girls walked in giggling among themselves carrying a few shopping bags. The first was blonde wearing jeans and a leather jacket over a white top. The second was a red head that Danny couldn't help but think cheerleader complete with pink outfit. The third had short dark hair and wore jeans and a black jacket. And the last one had long black hair and wore a denim jacket over a red top and jeans. Garfield waved to the girls and grinned. Danny on the other hand was a little overwhelmed. This was a lot of people. People he didn't even know if he could trust. But Garfield seemed to like them and Danny had deemed the furry boy safe enough to interact with.

"Hey guys!" Garfield called to the group. The four girls looked up and smiled at the boy. It was the happiest they'd seen him seen he arrived at the cave.

"Hey Gar, you seem a lot better," M'gann replied. Garfield rubbed his neck and shrugged.

"I guess I had a little help figuring out a few things," Garfield admitted and glanced in Danny's direction. The halfa hadn't moved, watching the exchange as he tried to figure out where he stood with these girls. The red head looked over and gasped.

"Oh! Danny! Wow, it's great to see you," M'gann exclaimed with a broad excited grin and made a few steps over to the boy. Panicked by the sudden interest, Danny took an involuntary step back. M'gann stopped in her tracks and her grin dissolved into hurt.

"Sorry, this is a bit much," Danny mumbled and began to make his way back to the medical facility.

"Wait, we're sorry. You don't have to go if you don't want to. M'gann is just super friendly. I'm Zatanna," the black haired girl called with a warm smile. Danny returned the smile as best he could despite how uncomfortable he felt. He wasn't used to this much attention. Even before he was taken by the Guys in White, he tended to be ignored. And now, the unwanted attention frightened him.

"I'm Artemis," Artemis informed him.

"And I'm Raquel," the short haired girl added.

"Er… Danny," Danny replied with an awkward wave. He felt stupid. They knew who he was. The girls gave him encouraging smiles. Garfield frowned. Danny had seemed fine before the girls arrived. He tapped M'gann's arm.

"_What's up Gar?_" M'gann asked telepathically.

"_Did something happen between you guys? He wasn't this nervous earlier,_" Garfield replied, surprised by how natural this form of communication was for him. M'gann glanced at Danny.

"_Not exactly. He's never met us since he was unconscious when we rescued him. This is the first time we've seen him since_," M'gann explained. Garfield blinked in surprise.

"_So… meeting you makes him nervous?_" Garfield inquired, confused. M'gann sighed.

"_Gar, Danny's been through a lot. He was basically tortured for six weeks before we found him_," M'gann revealed. Garfield gasped and glanced at Danny again. Artemis was trying to convince him to stay out of his room and have a cup of tea or whatever in the kitchen with them.

"_I didn't know. He seemed so… normal when he was helping me_," Garfield whispered. M'gann raised an eyebrow.

"_He helped you?_" M'gann repeated. Garfield nodded.

"_I was trying to get rid of my tail and Danny gave me a couple of pointers_," Garfield admitted.

M'gann turned to Danny.

"You helped Garfield?" she asked out loud. Danny turned to her and nodded.

"He looked like he needed it and I was never one to ignore something like that," Danny replied with a shrug. M'gann smiled and walked over to the halfa. She hugged him but ignored the tension in his body.

"Thanks Danny. Garfield hasn't been this happy since he got here," M'gann whispered in the boy's ear. Danny relaxed a little and shrugged.

"I didn't do much," Danny mumbled as she pulled away. M'gann giggled with a kind smile.

"Either way, please keep it up," M'gann retorted.

**Aw bonding between Danny and Garfield. **

**And Danny's met the girls of the team! **

**But will he stay out of the medical facility now?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15

Danny was glad that he let the girls lead him to the kitchen. M'gann was a great cook. Thankfully Danny was able to eat normal foods again. He didn't talk much but it was nice to be in such a normal situation again. M'gann changed to her green Martian self without thinking but Danny wasn't fazed. He'd seen weirder. Besides, he knew that M'gann could change her appearance at will from what Garfield had told him. He did notice the concerned glances every now and then from the girls. They obviously had an idea of what had happened to him and were worried about him. It annoyed him a little. He didn't want to be treated like glass. He wanted to be treated normally and forget about what he'd been through. He knew he couldn't and that he shouldn't pretend it never happened, but he wasn't ready to deal with it yet.

After an hour of the girls chatting and Danny listening, Garfield sometimes making a comment, Black Canary entered the room. She sighed in relief.

"Oh, there you are Danny," she breathed. Danny looked up and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry for worrying you," he muttered. Black Canary shook her head and smiled.

"It's fine. I'm glad to see you out of that room," Black Canary replied. Danny rubbed his neck.

"Had to leave at some point, right?" Danny retorted. Black Canary flashed him an encouraging smile and nodded.

"Right," Black Canary agreed.

The girls smiled at the exchange and M'gann nudged Garfield.

"He helped me to understand my new powers a bit too," Garfield informed the woman. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"You did?" Black Canary inquired. Danny shrugged.

"I didn't do much. Just listened to his problem and figured that it's a focusing problem. All Gar needs to do is differentiate this Garfield from the Garfield he wants to be. By the way, he can turn into a monkey," Danny explained. The girls blinked in surprise and turned to Garfield. He bit his lip.

"Yeah, I can. I didn't mean to but I did," Garfield admitted.

Black Canary was surprised by Danny's knowing tone. She hadn't asked Batman for the details he'd learned about Danny, so she didn't know much of what the teen was capable of. She preferred that Danny tell her what he was comfortable with her knowing. But she could tell by his knowing tone that he had to focus to use his powers. Batman had told Black Canary of the tips he'd gotten from Jazz though. She was aware that when he was frightened, the air cooled. She'd noticed herself now that she was looking for it. From her own observations, she'd learned that anger scared him. That response was so ingrained in him that even a displeased frown could scare him. It made Black Canary all the more determined to make the people responsible pay. But she kept her feelings in check around the boy, as much as possible at least.

Black Canary smiled as the girls badgered Garfield to show them his monkey self. With a reluctant sigh, Garfield closed his eyes and his form shrank and changed into a small green monkey. M'gann clapped her hands excitedly.

"That's amazing Gar! I wonder if you can change into other animals," M'gann remarked. Garfield the monkey blinked and held his chin.

"Maybe… er, Danny? Any tips?" Garfield requested. Danny smiled and shrugged.

"Just do what you did to become a monkey. Just change what you want to be. Turn into a cat," Danny suggested and smirked. Black Canary caught the joke and smiled herself. Danny seemed to be a joker. She hadn't seen that before.

Garfield, not noticing the mischievous smirk, closed his eyes and after a few minutes of concentration his monkey form shifted into a green, slim cat. Garfield opened his eyes and looked down at himself and grinned.

"Hey! I did it!" Garfield cheered. The girls applauded.

"Wow, Garfield. That's amazing!" M'gann remarked with a smile.

"Wait a second. Garfield the cat," Raquel realised and turned to Danny.

"I didn't know you were funny," Raquel laughed. Danny shrugged.

"It was right there. Couldn't help it," Danny replied with a smile. M'gann frowned in confusion. But Artemis and Zatanna caught on and laughed themselves.

"Oh, Gar… Gar, you have to say it. Go on!" Artemis gasped as she laughed. Garfield frowned as he suddenly understood.

"That Garfield is orange," Garfield grumpled.

"Maybe next we can work on colour changing then," Danny suggested playfully. The group laughed, even Garfield. M'gann however was still a little lost.

"I don't get the joke," M'gann pointed out.

"There's a cartoon about an orange, fat cat called Garfield," Zatanna explained.

"In the cartoon, the cat loves to eat lasagne and hates Mondays," Raquel added.

"Oh! Do Odie next!" Artemis requested with an excited grin. Garfield sat back on his hind legs and attempted to fold his front legs.

"No. Besides, I'm not even sure if I can do impersonations like that," Garfield decided. Danny nodded.

"Probably best not to try until you can figure everything out. Changing into a dog would be hard enough without trying to be specific," Danny interjected, again in his knowing tone. Garfield smiled, grateful to the halfa despite Danny being the one that started the whole joke.

Garfield closed his eyes and returned to his furry humanoid self. Black Canary was happy to see Danny so relaxed. He was smiling and joking around. It was nice to see for the heroine. But it also showed Black Canary how introverted the boy became due to his imprisonment. A fun-loving character like Danny seemed to be, would be much louder and vocal than he had been of late. For the first few days, Danny hadn't spoken much, even after his voice returned to normal. He gradually became comfortable enough to have small conversations with Black Canary about menial things. He refused to speak of his nightmares or his time with the Guys in White. But seeing Danny interacting with Garfield and some of the team… it showed how strong Danny was.

Kaldur walked into the room, startling Black Canary and the group of still chuckling girls, even M'gann was giggling having understood the joke.

"Hi, Danny, I'm glad to see you are well. I'm Kaldur'ahm, but you can call me Kaldur," Kaldur greeted the halfa. Danny gave the older teen a small smile and nodded to the Atlantean.

"I assume that we are the only ones present for the training exercise today," Kaldur commented to Black Canary. The adult blinked in surprise before recalling the second reason she was at the cave. The team were going to have a training session with her.

"I'm sure the others will be here soon Kaldur. We should probably make our way to the training room. Danny, you're welcome to watch if you want. You'll get to meet the rest of the team," Black Canary offered. Danny bit his lip before nodding.

"Alright. If it's okay with the others," Danny relented. Black Canary smiled at him as the others assured him it was fine.

**So they managed to keep Danny out of the medical facility and he's about to meet the remaining members of the team. **

**What will he think of the training session?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

Garfield and Danny stood to one side as the team gathered around Black Canary and waited for Robin and Wally to arrive. Conner had arrived a few moments ago. He and Danny had been properly introduced.

"Recognised Robin B01 Kid Flash B03," a computerised voice announced. Both boys walked into the room chuckling at a joke between them.

"You're late," Black Canary commented, gaining their attention. They looked up.

"Sorry, Batman and I were dealing with a little problem in downtown Gotham. Took longer than expected," Robin explained.

"And I'm always late," Wally added. Black Canary rolled her eyes.

Wally glanced at his girlfriend and then gaped as he noticed Danny standing to one side.

"Woah! Danny's out!" Wally exclaimed. Robin followed his team mate's gaze and smiled at the halfa.

"Hey Danny, good to see you. I'm Robin and that's Wally," Robin greeted Danny. Danny gave them an uncertain smile and nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, now that you're out of that room. How does the whole _half-ghost_ thing work?" Wally asked, walking right over to the teen. Black Canary refrained from scowling at the speedster as she felt the air cool a degree or so. Luckily Artemis was there to rein in her boyfriend. She grabbed his ear and tugged it painfully to the side.

"Wally! Cut it out. How would you like someone shouting at you that you're a speedster," Artemis reprimanded. Wally moaned and rubbed his ear.

"It's just a question. And don't say you're not interested. We all are. And we did save him," Wally argued.

Danny blinked in surprise and the air returned to its usual temperature. Black Canary suddenly realised that since Danny never felt comfortable enough to talk about his ordeal, he didn't even know the circumstances of his rescue. He probably theorised that Black Canary and Batman saved him.

"You're the people that… brought me here?" Danny inquired. Black Canary fought to keep her sadness at the comment off her face. Danny couldn't even reference the place he'd been imprisoned in. Wally and Artemis paused in their bickering and turned to him.

"Yeah. That was us," Wally confirmed.

"We all did. Didn't you know that?" Robin interjected before Wally could take all the credit. Danny bit his lip and shook his head. Kaldur glanced at Black Canary while the rest of the team stared at Danny in disbelief.

"Danny hasn't been comfortable enough to talk about what happened to him. So, we didn't get to explain how he was rescued," Black Canary whispered to the leader. Kaldur nodded in understanding.

Black Canary felt the air cool again as Danny grew nervous of the attention he was receiving. She clapped her hands loudly and drew everyone's attention to her. She felt guilty as she saw Danny flinch.

"This is training. Not a gossip circle. So, I'll need a volunteer," Black Canary called, adopting her harder teaching voice. Conner stepped forward. Black Canary smiled at him and the rest of the team stepped back to give them room.

"Now, sometimes in a fight, you're pinned down. You might be outnumbered and out gunned. In situations like those, we have to rely on our minds and those with powers may have to rely on natural skill. So, Conner, charge at me," Black Canary began. Conner charged at Black Canary and the heroine widened her stance and caught the super-powered teen by the shoulders and used his own momentum and weight against him to flip him over her head.

With a grunt, Conner landed on the ground.

"While Conner is stronger than me, it became his weakness because I took the stand and used his power against him. So watch me carefully. First I set my stance," Black Canary explained and the team copied her stance. Black Canary checked their stances and corrected Wally's foot and Raquel's arms.

"Good, next lean into the stance. When the attack comes, you go with it. The lack of resistance will throw your opponent off balance. Then all you have to do is push your attacker the rest of the way. Minimal effort is required," Black Canary instructed. The team nodded and branched off into pairs and tried the move for themselves.

Danny watched the lesson attentively. With a frown he recalled how he ended up getting caught in the first place. With a shudder he recalled how powerless he'd been. Just like Black Canary said. He was pinned down, literally with his foot crushed in the ground. He was outnumbered with the hordes of ghosts attacking him. He was out gunned as without even his most basic powers, he couldn't defend himself.

He knew a little self-defence from his mother but because of his slight frame, he didn't have the power to follow through with his attacks, at least prior to getting his powers. And after getting his powers he distanced himself from his mother in case he accidently used his powers on reflex in a training spar. Which meant his fighting style completely relied on his intangibility and flight. He punched and kicked wildly without any grace. Jazz had offered after she revealed that she knew his secret to help him refine his fighting technique but he was terrified that a normal human might get hurt fighting him. His ghost form was strong. He'd carried a school bus filled with people with ease before. If he misjudged a punch, he could hurt his sister. And when he got angry, sometimes his ghostly strength bled into his human half. He'd broken his alarm clock once and snapped countless pencils in the past.

He took note of all the moves Black Canary taught the team and saw that the techniques were applicable to his own ghost fighting. And if it meant that he could better defend himself if the Guys in White ever came after him again… it was a no brainer. He wanted to learn. He couldn't rely on his powers to save him. That was painfully clear after what had happened to him. Besides, he didn't have much else to do. This distraction from his thoughts and memories could help him.

The team were all hot and sore after their training session.

"Alright, hit the showers. Good work today. Raquel work on your stance. You never know when you'll get grounded in a fight. You can't rely on your flight," Black Canary announced. The girl nodded to her teacher and they began to leave the room, happy to freshen up. Danny made up his mind and left Garfield's side and approached Black Canary. He gave his arm a nervous rub before clearing his throat.

"Er… Black Canary?" Danny called. Black Canary turned to him and smiled.

"What is it Danny?" she asked.

"Would you mind… would you teach me too?" Danny requested. The team paused in their exit and turned back to Danny and Black Canary. The adult blinked in surprise.

"To fight?" Black Canary clarified. Danny nodded and put his hand on the back of his neck.

"Yeah… you see if I'd known that kind of stuff before…. I... I mightn't have been caught," Danny explained.

**Gasp! What will Black Canary say?!**

**And Danny opened up a little too. **

**Let me know what you think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17

Black Canary stared at Danny in shock. It was the closest thing he'd said about his ordeal since he'd arrived. She recovered her composure and nodded.

"Of course Danny, if that's what you want. Did you want to start now?" Black Canary agreed. Danny dropped his arm from behind his neck and gave her a nervous smile.

"If that's alright with you. I'm not very good and I might use my powers on instinct," Danny warned. Black Canary shook her head.

"That's fine Danny. If you want to learn, I'd be happy to teach you. Ready?" Black Canary assured him. Danny took a calming breath and nodded. He back pedalled a couple of steps.

"I need to see your level. Are you up for a spar?" Black Canary asked. Danny gave a serious nod and slipped into a ready stance. It looked almost natural for him, surprising Black Canary and the team.

While they'd heard that he fought ghosts in his home town, they'd never considered the nervous teen they'd met and the broken victim they'd rescued was capable of actually fighting. The team wordlessly decided to step back into the room to watch, the showers could wait. Black Canary adopted her own ready stance. She quickly saw that Danny wasn't going to make the first move. It showed already that he wasn't a novice and that his fights usually started with him defending himself. So Black Canary made the first move. She lunged forwards at the teen, deciding to hold back. But the hit never made contact, Danny expertly ducked under the hit and rolled away. Black Canary turned to the teen and bit back an impressed smirk. Maybe she could have a real spar like the ones she had with the team after all. He did seem to have recovered his speed and agility.

So Black Canary kept lunging at Danny in various tactics, most of which Danny spotted and dodged. Some he was forced to block though which surprised Black Canary again. Eventually, Danny made his move against Black Canary who had left herself open. He punched at her and she was forced to shift into more defensive moves. Danny's style was rough and unrefined but powerful. He must have learnt a lot on the job and had been involved in fights akin to street fights among thugs. But Black Canary also noticed that he did have to hesitate and refrain from using his powers, it was obvious from his expression. He was thinking about what he did. So she gathered that he relied heavily on them when fighting.

It gave Black Canary a clue as to what happened to Danny. The team didn't know for sure as his friends hadn't known the details. They learned what happened from rumours. All they knew for certain was that Danny had been outnumbered and caught by the Guys in White. Black Canary theorised that while those facts were true, he must have been made powerless or his powers were made pointless. That would have been enough of a distraction in a heated fight to make him a lot easier to catch especially if he was surrounded and outnumbered. It made Black Canary understand further why Danny wanted to learn to fight properly. He wanted to be able to protect himself if that ever happened again.

After a wild punch, Black Canary caught Danny's arm and flipped him on to the ground. Panting, Danny stayed down conceding defeat. Black Canary smiled and helped the teen up.

"You sell yourself short Danny. You're a lot better than I thought after everything you said," Black Canary commented. It was true, Black Canary had expected the spar to end within seconds but instead it had lasted a couple of minutes. The team and Garfield had watched in stunned silence at how well Danny had fought. It had been unexpected. Danny took a few deep breaths to get his erratic breathing under control and shrugged.

"My mom is a ninth degree black belt. She taught me a little self-defence when I was younger. And I've been fighting ghosts almost constantly for two years. But this is a lot different to a ghost fight," Danny admitted as he dusted off his jeans.

Black Canary frowned in confusion.

"If your mother is such a good fighter… Why didn't you ask for her help?" Black Canary asked. Danny rubbed his neck.

"Using my powers is instinctive sometimes. I was close a couple of times in that fight," Danny answered. Black Canary was struck by sudden understanding. He couldn't ask his mother for help after he got his powers because he didn't want her to know. So, in order to keep his secret, he'd learnt by himself. Black Canary nodded.

"Well, your attacks are sloppy and you definitely leave yourself open to a lot of hits but overall… not bad. If you made your moves more concise and tighter, you'd do a lot better," Black Canary advised and showed him a tighter fighting stance. Danny slipped into his normal fighting stance and corrected it the way Black Canary instructed. It wasn't a large difference but it would take time for him to correct the automatic stance.

Black Canary smiled encouragingly and showed him a few more ways of improving his already established techniques before telling him to get freshened up. As the team, Danny and Garfield left the training room, they all flocked to him and complimented his hidden talent. Black Canary decided to contact Batman. Maybe integrating Danny into the team further would help the teen to relax and open up about how his trauma affected him. Black Canary could sense that Danny was hiding his deepest mental scars from them and maybe even from himself.

**So Danny is going to utilise Black Canary's fighting lessons to improve his own techniques and protect himself. At least he's making the most of his situation.**

**How will the team feel about Danny joining them in their lessons?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Danny spent a lot more time outside the medical facility once he gathered the courage to leave. He spent most of his time with Garfield and M'gann but he was becoming fast friends with Kaldur and Robin. Wally was a little intense for the halfa at times. The speedster was naturally loud and friendly and he often tried to ask Danny about ghosts in almost accusing ways. It wouldn't have bothered Danny much before he'd been caught, he'd faced non-believers in the past. He knew how to deal with them. But since his ordeal… the interrogations felt threatening. It reminded Danny of the scientists. But luckily Artemis was usually around to rein him in so Danny never felt too cornered. The other girls were nice too, but Danny was never the one to hang out with a bunch of girls. There was Sam, but she was a tom boy. And Conner… he seemed a lot more distant than the other team members. But whenever Danny and Conner did interact, they did get along. They were both quiet though so the conversations were rarely interesting.

Black Canary had tried to get Danny to open up more to her but Danny still wasn't ready. He felt that once he could get through a normal conversation without having to repress his nerves and irrational fear at frowns or loud noises, he'd be ready. But he couldn't do that yet. Black Canary also tried to persuade Danny to write back to his loved ones in Amity Park, but Danny just replied that he had nothing to tell them. Danny knew the moment he replied, they'd want to know everything and if he wasn't even ready to think about what happened, he certainly wasn't ready to explain everything to his family and friends. He was still a little concerned about eventually facing his parents after they'd learnt the truth about him.

Batman had agreed to allow Danny to join the team during training. The caped crusader even watched one session to see how well the halfa fit in. Both Batman and Black Canary saw how much the training was helping Danny to relax around the team. His old confidence was even starting to return, not that they knew that since they hadn't known him before. He joked more with the other teens and Garfield had even started to practice his own powers. He could now turn into certain animals with ease such as a monkey, a gorilla and a cat, which the team took pleasure to point out.

After two weeks, the other teens had returned to school. Danny's family covered for him by saying that he was staying in Spittoon with his aunt and would be home schooled by her. Danny was grateful for that. He found it hard enough being around the team at times. Being in a school full of people with the school bell and shouting… Danny didn't think he could handle that yet. Instead of attending school, Danny and Garfield would be taught by Red Tornado. The android was a good teacher, especially since Danny found it difficult being with people that grew impatient or angry. The android's lack of facial expressions, in a strange way, helped Danny to stay calm. No one but Black Canary and Batman knew of his ingrained fear of anger though. He hid it well. There were times he had to excuse himself from situations that the team didn't understand due to him becoming overwhelmed, but usually he was fine.

It was the first weekend after everyone had returned to school though, that something out of the ordinary happened. The team decided to have a fun day on the beach outside Mount Justice. Black Canary had assured Danny that he was safe and should go with them. It would be the first time he'd been outside, apart from when he was rescued, since he'd been captured. While Danny couldn't wait to see the sky and feel a breeze on his skin… it was also a lot bigger. It wasn't like inside where he could ensure each room was safe before relaxing. He'd have to be on his guard. But even with that fear of being lured into another trap and being caught again, Danny agreed and looked forward to the outing. After all, this was the group of people that saved him. They could protect him if it came to it and he'd learnt a lot from Black Canary. And there was always his powers.

His powers. He hadn't used them at all since he'd left the Guys in White. There hadn't been a reason to. Wally had asked to see his "ghost" powers but Artemis always told her boyfriend off before Danny had to make his choice. It was something he was grateful for. The first time Wally asked, Danny had almost lapsed into a panic attack as he flashed back to his capture and then to his escape attempt with his ghostly wail. The hours of complete and pure torture. It was the first time he'd truly made the scientists angry. And now, that punishment played on his mind. He hadn't even changed into Danny Phantom since. The idea of changing only reminded him of the experiments.

But those problems weren't going to stop him having a pleasant day at the beach with his new found friends. M'gann made a picnic and Wally brought a beach ball. Danny stepped outside and scanned the beach for any possible signs of danger but when he saw none, he took a deep breath of fresh air. It felt good. He had a sudden impulse to go for a flight but he refrained. To fly, he'd have to change into Phantom and use his powers. He hadn't managed flight in his human half yet. He could slow down a fall to avoid a broken bone, but not flight.

Since Danny didn't have any swim wear at the cave, he watched the team and Garfield frolic in the water and enjoyed the much deserved time outside. Due to his time inside, he wasn't used to direct sunlight and his skin soon started to burn.

"Hey Danny," Zatanna called, startling the halfa as she sat beside him. She was wearing a swimsuit and a towel. Her hair was dripping and clung to her back.

"You okay?" Zatanna asked, giving him an apologetic smile. The team had noticed that Danny could be jumpy but no one blamed him. Danny smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Being outside is really nice. I didn't realise how much I missed it," Danny replied. Zatanna smiled at him. She glanced at his bare arms.

"Did you put on any sunblock?" Zatanna inquired. Danny shrugged. He never bothered with that kind of stuff. Despite being naturally pale, it was rare that he got sunburnt. Zatanna smirked and muttered a soft spell and produced a bottle.

"You should probably put some on then. If you're not used to being outside, you could get really badly burnt. You already look a bit red," Zatanna informed him and pushed the bottle into his hand before he could refuse. Zatanna turned her gaze to the guys as they started a heated splashing contest while Danny decided to follow Zatanna's suggestion.

He returned the bottle to her and the girl smiled in gratitude. They turned back to the water and laughed together as Conner and Robin teamed up to push Wally over, splashing Kaldur and Raquel in the process. In return, Kaldur used his powers to soak Robin and Conner, Wally getting caught in the crossfire as he got up.

M'gann came over with Garfield with a few sandwiches and handed them to Danny and Zatanna. They muttered their thanks and compliments as the foursome sat together and watched the splashing contest progress. The day couldn't be any better. So of course, Danny's ghostly life had to rear its head. Danny gasped and a puff of blue mist came from his mouth.

**A pesky ghost interrupted Danny's nice day out in the sun. But which ghost?**

**How will Danny handle it? What will the team do? **

**Until the next chapter.**


	19. Chapter 19

Danny's relaxed posture was gone instantly. He jumped to his feet in a ready position, his eyes darted around the area, searching for any sign of the ghost he had sensed.

"Danny?!" M'gann exclaimed.

"What was that?" Garfield asked.

"Ghost sense," Danny answered distractedly.

"What does that mean?" Zatanna inquired.

"It means there's a ghost nearby," Danny explained as he turned in a slow circle, searching for danger. The teens in the water noticed Danny's unease. They'd all grown protective of the boy since they saved him. They knew he could fight but they also could see that his ordeal had left its mark, some more than others, but they all knew it.

The rest of the team gathered around Danny, asking what the problem was. Danny allowed the other three to answer, using his experience to try and figure out where the ghost was. He bit his lip and recalled that his thermos was in the medical facility. Danny had been offered to be given a proper bedroom, but after everything, he didn't want to leave his safe haven just yet. He knew that his new room would be just as safe and probably even more comfortable with the lack of medical equipment lying around, but the medical facility still felt the safest in the cave to him. It was where he learned he'd been rescued. Where he learned that he would be protected. So he wasn't ready to leave that security blanket just yet.

Problem was, he needed his thermos. So he could either turn his back and run inside and get it. Or ask one of the others to fetch it for him. Glancing at Garfield, he decided that the younger boy was the one he trusted the most. He liked the others but he was closest to Garfield.

"Gar, I need you to go to the medical facility. Furthest bed from the door. Top drawer in the bedside cabinet. There's a metal thermos. Please bring it here. As fast as possible," Danny muttered as he scanned the surroundings. Garfield blinked in surprise. No one was allowed in the medical facility. It was a big rule as they all understood what that meant to Danny. If Danny was asking him to break that rule, it was important. He saluted.

"On it," Garfield announced and sprinted back inside the cave.

The team watched the halfa, concern dancing in all their eyes.

"You're sure that there's a ghost Danny?" Artemis asked. Danny spared her a glance and nodded.

"My ghost sense is never wrong," he confirmed. Kaldur scanned the beach himself. He couldn't see anything.

"Spread out. We'll find this ghost if it's here," Kaldur ordered. The team followed his order.

"Kaldur, that's not a good i-" Danny began but was caught off guard by a glowing blue net as it wrapped around him the second the group scattered.

"Danny!?" a number of the teens shouted in alarm. Danny scowled at the net despite his mounting terror. He tried to push the fear away. This was Skulker. He knew that. But his only thought was that the Guys in White were going to hurt him. He'd been caught and now he was going to be taken back to that hell. He could hear that sick scientist assuring him that his torture was helping to understand ghosts already.

"Well, that was disappointing. You've lost your touch whelp," Skulker commented. But Danny was overcome by his panic and terror by now. He couldn't hear Skulker at all. He no longer saw the glowing blue net, he saw the blinding white lights in the lab. His own muffled screams of agony around his gag echoed in his mind. He began to hyperventilate and tremble. His normal response kicked in. The temperature plummeted and frost began to coat the net.

Kaldur and Robin jumped into action and tried to fight the robotic ghost hunter away from Danny while Artemis and Raquel tried to get close enough to free the panicking halfa. But they didn't know how to fight a ghost. They weren't equipped. Robin's kick passed harmlessly through Skulker's intangible body and a missile threw Kaldur back. Another missile pushed Raquel and Artemis back from the net. Skulker grinned and strolled over to Danny.

"Ha, your ice powers aren't going to help you ghost child. That net's specially made. Despite the disappointing hunt, I will gladly take your pelt," Skulker bragged.

"Pelt? That's gross!" Wally exclaimed disgusted. The others were inclined to agree.

Garfield ran back out of the cave, panting from the sprint and saw the situation. Without a second's hesitation, Garfield changed into his gorilla self and charged at the ghost. Skulker's arm beeped.

"Gorilla attacking? What the?" Skulker muttered and looked up as Garfield pounced on the robot. Skulker screamed in alarm and attempted to protect himself. But with the hunter distracted, the team could run over to Danny. Conner pulled off the net but Danny didn't even seem to notice. He shook with fear and his eyes were clamped shut. The air felt like the arctic, the sand was laced with a frost beneath them. Kaldur took one look at Danny and knew they needed help.

"Wally, find Black Canary. M'gann help Garfield. Does anyone else have their equipment?" Kaldur delegated. Wally ran off at full speed to find the team's psychologist. Robin noticed the thermos Danny had asked Garfield to fetch. Garfield the gorilla had dropped it when he attacked Skulker. The boy wonder picked it up and studied it.

"Kaldur, I'll try and figure out how this works. It must be useful otherwise Danny wouldn't have asked for it," Robin pointed out. Kaldur nodded his agreement and ignored Robin as he ran his fingers over the device and muttered comments to himself. Artemis and Raquel didn't have their equipment and so volunteered to stay with Danny and try to calm him down until Black Canary came.

Kaldur, Conner and Zatanna turned to the fight with Skulker and charged in as Garfield the gorilla was swatted away from the ghost. Zatanna muttered her spells and Kaldur made use of the ocean beside them, he had collected his water bearers from where he left them on the sand before he ran to Danny. Conner ran over to Garfield to make sure the boy was alright. He seemed only stunned.

Robin experimentally tapped a button and a stream of bright light erupted from the thermos. He cried out in triumph and turned to the ghost. Skulker saw the danger of being caught and phased down into the ground and escaped. The glowing blue net lying beside Danny faded away. At that moment, Wally and Black Canary ran over to them.

**Did anyone guess it would be Skulker attacking?**

**How will Danny recover from this freak out? What will Black Canary do?**

**How will the team feel?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 20

Black Canary felt Danny's overwhelming fear before she reached them. The air had cooled to winter temperatures. She fell to her knees beside the halfa and bit her lip in indecision. She wanted to bring the teen close and hug him to comfort him, but she suspected that that would only make things worse. First, the hug would restrict him which could cause him to lash out blindly in fear of being bound. Secondly, Black Canary could see the frost building around Danny. Bringing herself into contact with the teen could put herself at risk. No, a hug would not work.

"Danny!? Danny?! Listen to me, you're safe here. Danny, can you hear me?!" Black Canary called but Danny seemed to be deaf to her words. His fear was so overwhelming that he'd lost touch with what was happening.

"What do we do?" Raquel asked fearfully as she saw that even Black Canary seemed helpless to bring Danny out of his panic.

He'd curled in on himself, shaking and hyperventilating in fear. His fresh tear streaks had frozen over. Black Canary pursed her lips and tried to think of something, anything to say to either Danny or the team. But there was nothing coming to mind.

"How did this happen?" Black Canary inquired in the calmest voice she could muster.

"Danny's ghost sense went off," Zatanna began.

"So when we all saw Danny looking worried, we went to help," Robin continued.

"I decided that we should spread out to find the ghost nearby," Kaldur resumed with an ashamed expression, realising that Danny had known it was a bad idea and tried to stop them.

"Then Danny got caught in a net," Artemis told her.

Black Canary nodded, now she understood why Danny was panicking.

"So we fought the ghost off. It wasn't easy. Our attacks did nothing to hurt or stop the ghost," Conner added.

"Where is the ghost now?" Black Canary asked.

"Ran off when I got this thermos thing working. Danny asked Gar to get it," Robin answered, holding up the device for the heroine to see. Black Canary nodded and turned back to Danny. She hated that this was the only thing she could do. They couldn't reach him. He couldn't hear them and she didn't know how to comfort him. M'gann could always try to reach him telepathically but Black Canary wasn't sure that was a good idea. M'gann was still learning and there was no way to know how she'd react to a mind so filled with fear and panic.

She had to sedate him. If his powers continued to react the way they were, it could be dangerous. Danny might accidently hurt someone with his ice. And Black Canary didn't know how he'd react if they tried to move him. He might lash out. He was in a state of flight or fight and with him feeling like he'd been caught, he'd resort to fight if he had to. With a reluctant sigh, she stood up.

"Stay with him but don't touch him. He might try to fight you off and hurt you. I'll be right back," Black Canary ordered and ran back into the cave.

The teens shared concerned looks. They hadn't realised that Danny was so affected by what happened. They knew he had been but this was a completely new level of fear. They now understood why it had taken him so long to leave the medical facility in the first place. They felt terrible. The first time in over two months that Danny managed to get outside and he got attacked by a ghost and ended up in such a panic that even Black Canary was helpless.

Within minutes Black Canary returned with a syringe ready.

"What is that?" Zatanna asked.

"Sedative. It shouldn't knock him out for more than an hour or two, maybe less. But it's the only thing I can do," Black Canary answered with a sad frown. She knelt beside Danny and considered the best way to inject the drug into the halfa. She didn't want to restrict the teen in any way in case it provoked a response. With a sigh of regret, she realised the only part she could reach was his neck. She would have to be careful not to hurt Danny permanently. But she positioned herself and with a gesture told the others to back off. They obeyed.

Black Canary then pushed the needle into Danny's skin and injected the sedative. Danny's ice intensified in its coldness. Black Canary understood that Danny's fear induced hallucination would have become even more real to him with a physical stimulus to support it. But slowly the drug took effect. The air warmed up and his tight defensive posture weakened. Once Black Canary was sure that Danny was unconscious, she chanced touching him. She checked his neck for injury but it was fine. She glanced at Conner and the clone understood. Conner stepped forward and picked up the unconscious teen. Black Canary led the way back into the cave and straight to the medical facility. Conner placed Danny on his bed and left.

Black Canary stayed in the medical facility the entire time Danny was unconscious. She wanted to be there to help him the second he woke up. The team and Garfield, having returned to his furry humanoid self, abandoned their beach day. They were too worried about Danny. M'gann gathered the picnic things and Robin brought in the thermos. They waited for news in the kitchen.

**Poor Danny. **

**How will he react when he wakes up? **

**How will the team react?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21

Danny woke up slowly. This haziness. It was familiar. But why? Danny then fought against the fog as he realised he'd been sedated. This was how he woke up every day with the Guys in White. He instantly opened his eyes and yanked his wrists up. The room wasn't blindingly bright and his arms were free. Still half-sedated, Danny sat up and scanned the room.

"Danny? It's alright. You're in the cave. In the medical facility," Black Canary soothed the teen seeing that he'd believed himself back at the lab again and was scared. Her words were muffled to Danny but he spotted her. He breathed a sigh of relief. Black Canary. He could trust her. If she was here, he was safe.

Danny frowned. If he was at the cave… why did he feel like this?

"Danny a ghost attacked you. You were too scared to hear me. I had to stop you so I sedated you," Black Canary explained, reading Danny's confusion. Danny blinked at her and then recalled what happened before he thought he'd been caught by the Guys in White again.

"Skulker," he croaked. Black Canary blinked in confusion and then jumped to her feet as Danny got to his feet and stumbled. She realised then that the drug hadn't worn off as much as she had believed. Danny was still in the process of waking up from his drugged nap.

"Danny, you have to stop. If you try to walk around before the sedative has worn off, you might hurt yourself," Black Canary reasoned. Danny pushed her away and staggered towards the door.

"Danny!" Black Canary called with concern. Danny fell into the wall and managed to open the door.

"I… I have to find him. Might hurt… someone," Danny mumbled blearily.

"The ghost ran away," Black Canary informed him, realising what Danny was trying to do. Danny shook his head.

"No. Skulker… he's a hunter. Didn't run. He retreated," Danny retorted as he fought against the fog in his mind. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"You can't fight anyone like this," Black Canary argued. Danny pushed himself away from the door and stumbled into the corridor outside.

"Danny, please stop," Black Canary requested, she didn't want to resort to physically stopping him if she could help it. Danny shook his head.

"I can't. He'll be back," Danny muttered as he used the wall to hold himself up as he walked.

Black Canary followed Danny and tried to talk some sense in the half-sedated and confused teen. But Danny didn't seem to be listening. He continued to stumble along using the wall as a support. Conner, using his enhanced hearing, heard Black Canary calling to Danny and alerted the others. They ran out of the kitchen to see Danny struggling to walk down the corridor. Kaldur turned to Black Canary for an explanation.

"Help me stop him. He's trying to go after that ghost I think. He's not fully awake yet," Black Canary requested. Kaldur nodded and stepped into Danny's path.

"Danny, please stop. The ghost fled. It's gone," Kaldur assured the boy.

Danny shook his head and tried to go around Kaldur but as he wasn't fully conscious, it was easy for Kaldur to keep Danny from moving past him.

"Skulker will be back," Danny muttered.

"And you're going to fight him? Mate you can't even stand," Wally pointed out.

"Please, at least wait until the sedative has worn off," M'gann pleaded.

"Besides, we have your thermos," Robin added. Danny slumped against the wall in defeat.

"Alright," Danny relented. Kaldur supported Danny as they returned to the kitchen together.

Danny fell into a seat and closed his eyes as the fog lifted.

"What do you remember from the ghost attack?" Black Canary prompted, secretly hoping that in his drugged confusion he might open up a little about what he'd been through.

"Um, my ghost sense went off. I sent Gar to get my thermos. And… then Kaldur tried to help. Skulker shot a net at me and caught me," Danny recalled. Black Canary felt the air cool.

"I… I panicked. I-I-I tried to fight it… but… I'd rather not talk about it," Danny concluded. Black Canary deflated. He still wouldn't talk about his ordeal. But she could surmise that he'd flashed back to the lab.

"Alright Danny. Maybe you can tell us more about that ghost," Artemis suggested. Danny nodded and the air warmed back up again.

"Skulker is a hunter. Self-proclaimed as the Ghost Zone's best. He's been hunting me for years," Danny began, the fog was almost gone by now.

"Hunting you!" Raquel squeaked in alarm. Danny chuckled.

"Relax. Usually I can fight him off. I just couldn't this time because…" Danny trailed off, but the others understood. Danny hadn't been able to due to his panic attack.

"But he doesn't give up on a hunt after one failed attempt. He'll know I'm off my game. He'll be back," Danny resumed after a brief pause.

Now recovered, Danny frowned and looked to the team.

"How did you guys scare him off though? Skulker doesn't give up easily, especially as I was already out of the picture," Danny asked.

"I attacked him as a gorilla when he wasn't looking," Garfield answered. Danny burst out laughing. The team blinked in surprise.

"What's funny?" Zatanna inquired. Danny took a deep breath.

"Oh, it's kind of a private joke. But when Skulker first tried to catch me I was trying to bring up my grade in school. So Sam convinced me and Tuck to watch a purple back gorilla. Skulker tried to use Sampson, now Delilah, to trap me. I figured out what he was up to and tricked him instead. But Delilah practically ripped him apart," Danny explained.

"Ripped him apart?" M'gann questioned with obvious concern. Danny waved a dismissive hand.

"What you saw is a suit. That wasn't what Skulker really looks like. But that incident is kind of a constant joke with Skulker, so Gar attacking him as a gorilla…" Danny concluded with an amused smirk.

The others were glad to see that Danny hadn't lost all the progress he'd made since arriving at Mount Justice. He was still talking to them and joking. It was a relief as there was a true worry that he'd regress back to the shut-in frightened teen in the medical facility.

"But Gar attacking him wouldn't have been enough," Danny prompted. Robin nodded.

"He ran when I got the thermos working. What does it do?" Robin admitted.

"And how did you get it?" Black Canary added.

"Jazz sent it. She's always nagging me to carry one at all times. The thermos catches and contains ghosts. But if you pull it out and the ghost sees it, usually they run for it. You need to get them to stay still long enough for them to get caught in the beam. It's impossible to escape once that hits," Danny answered with a knowing tone.

"You've been caught in one, haven't you?" Wally realised. Danny frowned in annoyance as he recalled the numerous times he'd been sucked inside a thermos.

"Let's just say my sister has a special kind of aim," Danny replied. The team laughed.

"It's not funny when you're stuck in there for six hours," Danny muttered, leading to even more laughter.

"Six hours!?" Conner gasped as he laughed. Danny sighed.

"We didn't know which button was the release button. Jazz had to get the schematics and my parents wouldn't leave the lab. Plus my dad isn't the best at remembering things like labels," Danny elaborated.

Danny rolled his eyes and stood up. He grabbed the thermos from Robin with ease and headed to the door.

"Now, I'm going after Skulker before he comes after me," Danny called over his shoulder. The team scrambled to their feet.

"Wait! By yourself?! No way, we're coming too," Robin retorted. Danny shrugged.

"Suit yourself but without weapons, you'll only be able to help by surprising him," Danny replied as he left the kitchen. The others ran after him. Black Canary watched them go with a sigh. She couldn't stop Danny from doing this. She just hoped that he wouldn't get caught in a net or something similar again. She didn't want to resort to drugging the teen again.

**It was suggested that my author notes don't match the tone of the story and I should try a different way of writing them... so here goes.**

**I wanted to show that Danny has a long way to go yet on this journey of recovery but he has started.**

**We can see how much damage the Guys in White did to the halfa but we can still see the hero he was before his capture. **

**This chapter was easy to write for me, especially since I've had mornings where I've struggled to walk in a straight line for sleepiness or after a late college night (heh heh). But I wanted this to be a light chapter also, I think all the characters could have used it. **

**Anyway, let me know what you think will happen or what you think of what has happened. **

**Until the next chapter. **


	22. Chapter 22

Danny took a deep breath as he stepped back outside. He had to find Skulker regardless of his fears and uncertainity. Skulker went after rare and unique specimens. Garfield and Conner could fit that criteria. Maybe even Wally, Kaldur, Zatanna and M'gann. The robotic hunter would have been nearby for a few days, waiting to see Danny. Inside the cave, Skulker ran the risk of detection by Danny's ghost sense. But outside, he could keep watch from afar. If Danny just shied away from this, his new friends could become targets and be taken out. Danny considered changing into Phantom and flying around. It would be easier and quicker but the idea… it sent a stab of fear through him. His flashback was still playing on his mind and right now he wasn't sure he could change without lapsing into another panic attack. Using his powers could cause a similar situation.

Danny took another steadying breath and began to walk across the beach, the other teens and Garfield trailing behind him. He had to find and face Skulker. If he didn't, then it would be his fault if one of the others got hurt or taken by Skulker. He'd deal with his irrational terror once he faced the hunter. He'd managed to leave the medical facility because he had to, to help Garfield. Maybe he needed to face Skulker and be forced to use his powers to conquer the uncertainty around his powers.

In silence, Danny walked to the middle of the beach and scanned the area. Now he knew which ghost was present, he'd be able to predict where the hunter would lie in wait. Thermos tightly grasped in his hand, he spotted a wooded area to the right. He walked over to it. The others followed without question. Once they reached the tree line, Danny's ghost sense triggered and he allowed himself a small smirk of satisfaction. He might be rusty, but he could still hunt ghosts. Now he just had to prove to himself and the others that he could still fight one.

They walked through the trees and came to a clearing. Skulker stood in the centre, waiting. The others hung back worriedly but Danny strode straight up to Skulker.

"That was a coward's trap Skulker," Danny growled, trying to hide his nervousness with aggression. Skulker shrugged.

"The hunt is neither brave nor cowardly. It is what it is. But I must say, I was surprised by how easy it was," Skulker replied. Danny scoffed.

"I thought you were all about honour. Shooting me while my back was turned? That can't be right," Danny pointed out. Skulker frowned.

"Those ghost hunters really did break you," Skulker remarked.

Danny scowled angrily at Skulker as a wave of terror flowed over him. He didn't want to talk about that. Especially not to Skulker.

"What makes you say that?! I'm here," Danny growled and brought up his thermos for the hunter to see. Skulker shook his head, almost pityingly.

"Whelp, I'm a hunter. I can see the signs clear as day. It's in your eyes. You haven't even changed and those children know your secret. Usually you've thrown a punch by now. That net! Before you would have broken through it and come back fighting. I saw what happened ghost child. You're broken," Skulker replied.

Danny was painfully aware of the eyes on his back. He didn't want them to know how badly his time with the Guys in White had affected him. It was one of the main reasons he refused to get in contact with his family and friends. If they knew, they'd treat him differently. He'd constantly be seen as a victim and that just forced Danny to think about it. He wanted to bury those thoughts and feelings until he felt ready to deal with them. But Skulker had seen through it.

"Why are you here?" Danny demanded, determined to change the subject. Skulker shrugged.

"I heard the rumours of your capture. I wanted to see if they were true. So I watched your friends as they ran around searching for you. Then one day, they just stopped looking. I realised that you must have escaped. So I began to track you down. Now I see that you're not even prey worth my time," Skulker answered.

Danny felt like he'd been slapped. It was insulting. Skulker deemed him, Danny Phantom, too weak to bother hunting down! Initially, when Skulker started hunting him, it had been frightening and felt almost degrading. Hunted down like an animal. But after a while, Danny started to see the veiled compliment. Especially after the time Skulker tried to hunt Danny and Valerie at the same time because he couldn't decide which of them would be better to hunt. Now to be told that he wasn't worth the effort… it was an insult.

Danny's fear vanished and his eyes burned bright green. Skulker blinked in surprise at the change and took a wary step back. Danny glared at the hunter.

"I am not broken!" Danny hissed. Skulker realised that he'd made a mistake. Danny's free hand glowed bright green and without thinking Danny aimed the shot right at Skulker's head. The robot was thrown off balance and was left unprepared for Danny's follow-up punch. With Skulker dazed, Danny opened and activated the thermos and sucked the ghost inside. Danny shut his eyes and took a calming breath and allowed himself a small smile. He used his ghost ray. The last time he did that was the day he got caught. He'd used it and it had worked fine. He was in control. His eyes dimmed back to their normal blue and his thumping heart slowed to its normal rate.

The team watched Danny uncertainly. It was the first time they'd seen Danny's powers. They didn't know it, but they'd glimpsed the true strength of Danny Phantom. For an instant, Danny had been his old self. He mightn't have changed into his ghost half, but his fears had vanished for a moment and allowed him to be himself. The halfa remained still, huffing like he'd run a marathon. Biting her lip, Zatanna edged forward.

"Danny?" she called warily. Danny glanced at them.

"Are you okay?" Zatanna asked. Danny nodded.

"Yeah," he muttered as he turned back to the thermos in his hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zatanna suggested. Danny shook his head.

"No. I need to send this to Amity Park. Excuse me," Danny mumbled, already hating the pitying looks the teens were giving him.

The team let Danny leave the clearing to head back to the cave alone.

"I wonder if that ghost was right. About Danny being broken," Wally whispered once the halfa was gone.

"I wouldn't blame him. He's been through hell," Robin replied. The others glanced at him. Robin sighed. He knew they weren't going to drop their unspoken questions.

"I don't know everything but I… I saw a few of the things Danny went through when he was with the Guys in White," Robin admitted.

"How?" Conner demanded.

"I copied everything on the Guys in White database into my gauntlet. I saw a few of the reports, only for a split second but you don't need to read a report to know that the word autopsy is bad," Robin explained uncomfortably.

The team gasped in horror. They suspected experimentation, but an autopsy! Artemis and Wally paled at the word and were suddenly glad that they didn't know much about where Danny was being held.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Raquel growled. She, like the rest of the team, saw Danny as a friend and they wanted to help him.

"I didn't want to tell anyone stuff that Danny didn't want us to know. You should have seen Batman after he looked through the reports. I've never seen him so angry. So I really don't blame Danny for acting the way he does. You saw how he reacted to getting caught in a net," Robin defended himself. The teens nodded.

"Do you think Black Canary knows what happened to him?" Artemis wondered. Kaldur frowned.

"I don't know. But I think we should tell her what we heard from that ghost," the Atlantean decided as they turned to return to the cave.

**Danny beat Skulker but what will that mean for the team and Danny?**

**It was mentioned before that when an autopsy is performed on a living creature it's called vivisection. But I just wanted to explain why I use the word autopsy. The word is taken from Guys in White reports which believe Danny to be a ghost and so a dead thing. True he has a human half but the Guys in White still consider him more ghost than human. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	23. Chapter 23

M'gann, Zatanna and Conner returned from school. It had been four days since Skulker attacked. Danny had asked Black Canary to send the thermos containing the ghost back to Amity Park and thank Jazz for him. Black Canary had done as he asked, but she did try to convince him to go himself or write the message himself but the halfa refused. Jazz sent back another two thermoses and a couple of ecto-weapons for the team in case another ghost attacked. Now that Skulker knew where Danny was, other enemies might try to attack Danny.

Garfield grinned at the trio of weary teens as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey guys. How was your day?" He greeted them. He preferred learning from Red Tornado with Danny than going to a crowded school. He'd been home schooled for most of his life by his mother.

"Ugh, tiring and dull," Zatanna complained.

"Yeah, we have a lot of homework," Conner agreed. M'gann frowned.

"Where's Danny? Isn't he usually with you?" M'gann inquired. Garfield shrugged.

"He's been a lot more distant since the thing with Skulker. Keeps excusing himself to his room in the medical facility. He's usually in there for a couple of hours," Garfield answered. The trio of teens frowned. It seemed that Danny had lost some of his progress after all. But he had seemed fine that morning and he usually was around after they got back from school. Black Canary walked into the room. She frowned at Garfield.

"Garfield? I thought you were with Danny," she remarked with confusion.

"Huh? I thought he was in the medical facility. I haven't seen him for a couple of hours," Garfield retorted. Black Canary shook her head.

"No. He's not in there. In fact, he's hardly been in there for the last few days. He told me that you two had taken to walking around just outside Mount Justice," Black Canary revealed.

"Wait! Are you saying neither of you know where Danny is?" Zatanna exclaimed. Garfield and Black Canary nodded. The trio of teens shared concerned looks.

"We should look for him," M'gann decided. Black Canary nodded.

"The others should be arriving soon for training. I'll send them after you," Black Canary decided.

Conner got Sphere and Wolf from their usual spots in the hanger. Both had met Danny and seemed to like the teen, especially Wolf. They ran outside together. M'gann took to the air and established a mental link. Zatanna and Garfield searched outside together. A few minutes later, Robin, Wally, Kaldur, Artemis and Raquel joined the search. Wally found Danny first and the team converged on his position.

They were shocked at what they saw. Danny stood in the clearing he'd caught Skulker in. The trees were charred and he shot green energy at the trees. He growled, fury burning in his blue eyes.

"Come on Fenton! Get it right!" he grumbled to himself and charged his fists with energy again and fired at a tree but missed. With a frustrated sigh, he dropped his hands and the glow faded.

"Fine, ghost ray's aim is off. I'll go back to intangibility instead," Danny muttered.

He then turned himself intangible and accidently sank into the ground. He hadn't meant to do that. He wanted to run through a tree. He suddenly recalled how his foot was crushed before in this situation. He cried out in panic. His intangibility shifted and he fell forward, he only managed to prevent himself from hitting his face by putting out his arms to catch himself. Now able to get a hold of something, he pulled his foot back out of the ground and turned himself tangible.

"Get over it! I can do this," Danny hissed to himself.

"_What is he doing?_" Garfield asked the older teens over the mind link.

"_Training. He's trying to train with his ghost powers,_" Kaldur realised.

"_Then why is he getting so angry at himself?_" Artemis inquired.

"_Remember what Skulker said. He said that the Guys in White broke him. Maybe this is what he meant,_" Raquel pointed out.

"_Wait. I think this is more than that. Remember when he asked Black Canary to teach him. He said that if he could fight, then he wouldn't have gotten caught. Maybe the Guys in White did something to his powers and now he's lost his confidence in them_," Robin theorised. The team shared looks as Danny got to his feet and sighed.

"Guess I should get back, the guys will probably be back soon," Danny mumbled with disappointment. Before any of the spectators could hide, Danny turned and saw them.

**I wanted to show that Danny is only just starting to realise how much his ordeal has affect him, as well as get the team to learn a little more about the halfa. **

**It's probably obvious that this is a slow moving story and it will take a long time for Danny to recover from what happened. But at least now he's trying to get back to his old self. **

**Also, you may have noticed my love of cliff-hangers...**

**Until the next chapter.**


	24. Chapter 24

"How long have you been there?" Danny asked slowly, fidgeting and looking trapped.

"Only a minute. It's okay Danny. You've been through hell. We want to help you," Robin soothed the teen. Danny shook his head.

"Don't. Just don't give me that look," Danny retorted, averting his eyes. Robin blinked in surprise.

"What look?" Robin inquired with confusion.

"I don't want your pity. I hate it. Just… just don't okay. I want to forget everything and when you guys give me those looks I can't," Danny answered. Robin glanced back at his team mates. He hadn't even realised that he'd been giving those kinds of expressions.

Danny knew what was going to come. They'd watched him training. They'd want answers and he knew them well enough from the last few weeks to know they wouldn't take no for an answer. So he tried to prepare himself for the coming questions and to keep his emotions in check.

"Danny, you shouldn't just ignore what happened," Kaldur pointed out. Danny sighed loudly.

"I know! I have Jazz constantly writing to tell me that. But you guys don't understand. I'm not ready to talk about it. I want to focus on getting over it first before confronting it. I want to… I want to be myself again," Danny admitted, deflating as he spoke. It was the most he'd spoken to them about his ordeal.

"What's stopping you?" Garfield asked, understanding the feeling of wanting to escape his sorrows and being unable to do so with everyone around feeling sorry for him. Danny looked up at the green furred boy.

"Memories and fear," Danny whispered and shook his head. He didn't want anyone to know how much his ordeal had affected him but he knew they would get their answers one way or another.

"Fear?" Wally repeated, having only seen Danny's fear when he was trapped in Skulker's net. Danny nodded.

"I'm good at hiding my feelings, especially fear. My parents are ghost hunters, or at least they were, I don't know if they still are. But they didn't know that I'm half-ghost and they hate or used to hate my ghost half. To protect my secret I had to hide how scared I was," Danny explained.

"Is that why you're training by yourself?" Raquel wondered, glancing at the scorched trees. Danny nodded.

"I… I can't trust myself anymore. I need to get my powers back under my control but… but every time I try I flash back to getting caught," Danny revealed.

"What happened?" Zatanna prompted.

"I got shot by a gun that messed with my powers. I-I-I lost complete control. I couldn't… I couldn't protect myself," Danny answered for the first time knowing he had no choice.

"My powers turned against me. I couldn't control my ghost ray or my flight. I phased my foot into the ground and it got crushed," Danny muttered. Robin glanced at the others as they winced in sympathy. He was right. Danny had lost confidence in his powers. And an experience like that… it was perfectly understandable. Even though Robin didn't have powers, he could liken it to losing control of his equipment and that was a frightening thought. But at least equipment could be replaced or thrown away. Powers weren't so easy to fix.

"We'll help you," Kaldur offered. Danny shook his head.

"No. It's not safe," Danny declined immediately.

"Doesn't look it from here. I mean density shifting or whatever that was and firing a bolt of energy. We can handle that," Wally retorted. Danny turned to Wally with a stern expression.

"I have other powers. I could flash freeze you. I've frozen ghosts solid by accident," Danny replied with complete seriousness. The teens blinked in shock. Danny shook his head.

"I didn't tell anyone because I need to do this alone. I need to get over this," Danny mumbled.

"Is this because of what Skulker said?" Artemis asked.

Danny sighed.

"Not exactly. Seeing Skulker… it showed me how bad I've gotten. But now that I'm back on the ghostly radar, I need to be ready. And if I can't even turn intangible how I want. Then I can't be trusted in a ghost fight. If I can't get the basics right, I won't stand a chance," Danny explained.

"Well, why not start with the basics?" Zatanna suggested. Danny turned to her.

"Flight, invisibility and intangibility _are_ the basics," Danny answered.

"Okay, they don't seem dangerous. Let us help you with those," Kaldur replied. Danny bit his lip and shook his head.

"You can't. Invisibility I can do. But flight and intangibility are different. I'm scared of turning myself intangible now after what happened. And flight, I can't do it as Fenton," Danny admitted.

"So turn into Phantom," Wally suggested. Danny shut his eyes hopelessly.

"I can't. Every time I think about it… I can't help but think about… what happened," Danny replied, frustration and desperation clear in his tone. It was then that the team understood how deeply Danny had been affected by what happened. He couldn't even bring himself to use his powers from the memories. But they pushed down their pity for the halfa. They didn't want to make things harder for Danny.

"Have you told Black Canary about this?" Raquel inquired. Danny shook his head.

"This isn't something anyone can help me with. I need to get over this by myself. Talking about it isn't going to help," Danny answered.

"How did you learn to control your powers in the first place?" Garfield asked. Danny snorted.

"Trial and error mostly. Unlike you guys, I don't have a teacher. Well, I had help with my ice powers but that was it," Danny told them. He knew who the teens were. The team had felt it was only fair seeing how they knew Danny's secret.

"Well, how did you figure out your ice powers?" Conner inquired. Danny shrugged.

"They weren't hard to learn to control once I knew what was going on. Frostbite was a great teacher. My ice powers aren't a big problem right now. I had to get that under control first. I just ran a few drills Frostbite taught me. But a lot of my other powers… I can only access them as Phantom. My ghost half is stronger and it's much easier to channel my powers like that," Danny answered.

"How did you figure out your green energy thing then?" M'gann prompted, wondering if Danny just needed to be reminded of how it worked originally. She understood more than most of the teens how losing control of your powers and losing confidence in them was like. After the simulation where she took over by accident and nearly put everyone that died in comas, it had taken time for her to feel confident enough to use her powers again too. But her uncle J'onn had helped immensely. But Danny was refusing any help. How could he regain that confidence without someone to support him?

"Trial and error. And lots of target practice," Danny replied and motioned to the charred trees, telling them that he was already trying that.

"We saw you. You looked like you were in control. Frustration can mess with your aim, but most of your hits looked good," Artemis pointed out. Danny frowned and turned to a nearby tree.

"Aim isn't my only problem now. Intensity is too. Either I hit dead on but with a weak shot, or my shot goes wide and is strong. I can't get it right. Not like I did when I faced Skulker. I don't understand it myself," Danny explained with a shake of his head.

"Let us help you Danny. We're not weak. We can take a hit if it comes to it. Maybe the reason you could do it with Skulker is because you weren't thinking about it," Kaldur requested. Danny sighed.

"It's not a good idea. I guess Black Canary is getting worried and we have training right?" Danny retorted, effectively changing the subject and began to lead the way back to the cave. The team watched Danny go before following him with sighs of defeat. Danny was stubborn.

**A little opening up for Danny to the team. If a little reluctant.**

**But hopefully now that Danny has opened up this much, he'll continue to open up to the team and Black Canary. **

**Let me know if you guys have any theories on how they might help or try to help Danny.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	25. Chapter 25

After he got caught training by himself, Black Canary had decided that Danny had to be supervised when he trained. It irritated the halfa completely. The other teens had told the heroine everything they learned about Danny. Black Canary tried to comfort Danny and give him support but Danny hated being treated like glass. He nearly wanted to change to Phantom and make duplicates so he could escape for a while. But he couldn't. Changing into Phantom brought bad memories. This continued for a week.

That weekend, the team were sent on a mission, leaving Garfield and Danny in the cave alone with Black Canary for a private training session. Garfield had improved his abilities. He still hadn't thought of a name for his new self but he'd had plenty of suggestions, most were jokes from Wally though. But now the boy could shape shift into a bird and a crocodile and an elephant. He'd practiced these animals on purpose. He'd always been intrigued by flying and he wanted a form for the water. And who wouldn't want to be an elephant. Although Danny had started a running joke of "avoiding the elephant in the room" that Wally needed no encouragement to join in on.

Danny had been training his powers too but he wasn't progressing as much as Garfield. He was gaining confidence in his ghost ray again though. He had problems with his intensity but the aim usually was right now at least. His nervousness had gotten a lot better too. He only got frightened by obvious displays of anger now. Frowns and scowls rarely scared him. But Danny suspected that it was only because he was getting used to the people he was interacting with. He needed to meet a new person to test out if his regained confidence was complete or only with residents of the cave.

But Danny was starting to think that maybe he might be close to being ready to talk to Black Canary. Part of him wanted to avoid that talk like the plague. But another part of him knew he had talk about it all or it would haunt him forever. His nightmares were still vivid and nightly. But he was getting accustomed to the lack of sleep by now. He mightn't be all that fun first thing in the morning or in the evenings, but he could handle it despite what the almost permanent bags under his eyes said.

Danny was sitting in the kitchen with Wolf and Garfield that evening. He was dozing with Wolf on the couch beside him. Garfield wanted to wait up for the team and had convinced Danny to stay up with him. The boy was channel flicking, he hadn't seen a decent show for the last ten minutes to stick with. Wolf's ears pricked up and he ran out of the room, startling Danny awake. Garfield grinned and flipped over the back of the couch with the grace of a monkey.

"The team must be back," Garfield exclaimed.

"Great, now you might let me get some sleep," Danny replied as he settled back into his comfortable seat.

"Last time I listen to you. I don't get enough sleep as it is," Danny mumbled to himself. Garfield wasn't paying attention to Danny though.

Garfield ran after Wolf in to the hanger and greeted the team as they disembarked the Bioship.

"How was the mission?!" Garfield called while Wolf scampered over to Superboy. M'gann giggled at her newly adopted brother, Batman handled the paperwork for them.

"Fine, where's Danny?" Kaldur answered seriously. Garfield blinked in surprise.

"In the kitchen. I convinced him to wait up for you guys with me. But he's probably fallen asleep. Why do you guys want him? Did something happen on the mission?" Garfield answered. The mission had been to gather intel on the Guys in White in the hopes of getting them shut down another way than revealing what happened to Danny. Enough time had passed for a covert team to have a chance of infiltrating and Batman had decided that Danny wasn't going to change his mind.

Robin and Kaldur left the hanger and headed to the kitchen.

"What happened?" Garfield repeated. M'gann shook her head.

"It's nothing to worry about Gar. Robin just found out that the Guys in White are still after Danny," M'gann informed him.

"They have a trap set for him," Artemis added while she checked over her bow and did a quick arrow inventory. It was something she did after every mission, even if she didn't fire an arrow.

"But, Danny isn't going to leave the cave right? So how is a trap going to work?" Garfield pointed out. The team shrugged.

"We're not so sure that Danny hasn't been leaving the cave," Conner mentioned, glanicng up from giving his pet a belly rub.

Robin and Kaldur marched into the kitchen and saw Danny on the couch. He did look tired and was asleep. Both teens knew that Danny didn't get enough sleep and felt guilty about having to wake the halfa. Robin edged closer, unsure how Danny would react to getting woken up. Robin frowned as he saw Danny's face twitching in his sleep into a frightened and pained expression. Robin gently shook Danny's shoulder.

"Danny? Danny? We need to talk to you. Danny?" Robin called. Danny's eyes snapped open and he frantically swept his gaze around the room before calming down.

"You okay?" Robin asked. Danny rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Fell asleep for a minute there. Everything okay with you?" Danny answered with a deep sigh.

Kaldur stepped forward.

"We have a couple of questions. Have you left the cave at all?" Kaldur asked. Danny blinked in surprise.

"No. Well, unless you count taking a walk into the woods. I'm not even keyed into the Zeta tubes. Batman thought it best that there be no electronic proof that I'm here," Danny informed them. Robin and Kaldur shared confused looks.

"Do you know what an ecto-signature is?" Robin inquired. Danny raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Of course I do. My parents have been talking about those since before I can remember. I know that they're unique to a ghost. Like a ghost energy fingerprint. Why are you asking me these weird questions?" Danny answered.

"Because when I hacked into the Guys in White database, they tracked _your_ ecto-signature to a number of places," Robin revealed, ignoring Danny's involuntary flinch at the name of his captors. Most of the team refrained from using the name. Robin felt guilty but he knew someone was lying and data didn't lie. Danny shook his head.

"I haven't left the cave. Besides, my ecto-signature isn't always easy to pick up when I'm human. Wide radar machines don't pick it up. Specific ones can and have done in the past. But my ecto-signature is a lot stronger when I'm Phantom. And I haven't been Phantom since… well I haven't been Phantom in a while," Danny explained.

"But… ecto-signatures are unique and the Guys in White have yours on file after they-er got a sample," Robin commented carefully. Danny frowned.

"Can I see the data for myself?" Danny requested. Kaldur and Robin shrugged to each other. Robin brought it up on his gauntlet and showed it to the halfa. Danny scanned the report, not understanding most of the data but got the gist of it. He frowned to himself.

"I don't understand. That is my ecto-signature. But I haven't left the cave. And the equipment they used would only work if I was Phantom. But I haven't been- oh no. _I_ haven't but that doesn't mean… Why did you confront me on this?" Danny muttered, turning to the two boys questioning him.

Kaldur and Robin frowned in confusion at Danny's sudden change in attitude. He looked worried, almost panicked.

"We were going to warn you to stay in the cave. There's a trap set up for you," Kaldur answered. Danny shook his head.

"Not for me. For my cousin. We have to get there. You know where it is right?" Danny retorted. Robin nodded uncertainly. Danny got up and marched to the hanger.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Robin shouted after him.

"To save my cousin. I'm not going to let those monsters hurt her," Danny replied with conviction.

**Any guesses who Danny means?**

**Will they get there in time? How will Danny react to the trap?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	26. Chapter 26

Kaldur frowned at Danny sitting in a seat near the back beside Garfield. Both had insisted on coming on this impromptu mission. They didn't even have clearance from Batman and they were bringing two non-team members. Danny had refused to stay behind. He even threatened to sneak on board or convince Sphere to take him. And once Kaldur had to relent to Danny, Garfield had refused to be left behind on his own. Making claims of how unfair it was that Danny got to go and Garfield didn't. It had saved a lot of arguing and a bigger headache to just let them come. They'd just have to keep them out of the fighting.

Kaldur sighed.

"Alright. So the details of the trap are a rogue ghost is going to lure Danny or rather Danny's cousin to the location of the ambush. From there it gets vague so we'll have to be careful. Danny, you're going to stay with me and Robin. Gar, you're staying near M'gann and Conner. Alright?" Kaldur decided, giving both guests on the Bioship a stern look. Garfield nodded in understanding without question. But Danny looked away defiantly.

"Danny. On this team, you listen to me," Kaldur informed the halfa. Danny glanced at the Atlantean.

"You haven't dealt with them Kaldur. And you've never met Danielle. I'll listen to you as long as I don't think you're making a mistake. I get that you're trained for dangerous situations and covert operations and stuff, but this is ghostly in nature. And you don't know what I'm capable of, let alone what my cousin is capable of," Danny argued.

"Danny please. I don't want your cousin to get hurt any more than you do. Can't we work together on this?" Kaldur requested, seeing that being the macho leader wasn't going to work on the halfa.

"I know Kaldur. And I don't want to go against you. But I will if I have to, to protect Danielle," Danny concluded.

"I don't get something. If ecto-signatures are unique, how come you share one with your cousin?" Zatanna asked. Danny bit his lip before sighing.

"I guess you guys deserve to know the truth. But Dani's probably gonna be angry I told you guys. She's not my biological cousin. She's actually my clone," Danny explained.

"Clone?!" Conner repeated incredulously. Danny nodded.

"Superman isn't the only one who has someone obsessed about him. A fruit loop I know tried to clone me. Numerous times. Danielle was the only one with her own mind. I don't know how she differed from the others but she is," Danny elaborated.

"So you just told her to leave?" Conner growled. Danny repressed his fear with difficulty.

"No. She chose to leave. She wanted to travel. I couldn't stop her. Besides my situation is… was tricky. How could I explain to my parents that either I have a cousin they've never heard about or someone cloned me without telling them about my powers?" Danny retorted.

Conner blinked and glanced at the halfa. He frowned guiltily as he noticed Garfield shivering and realised he frightened Danny. The team had been told about Danny's fear of anger and his cold response when he got scared. Black Canary had explained it after the net incident. Not that they wouldn't have figured out the whole "things get chilly when Danny gets scared" after that by themselves anyway.

"Sorry Danny. I shouldn't have gotten angry. I didn't think of your situation," Conner apologised. Danny nodded.

"I get it. You and Superman haven't always been great pals," Danny assured with a shrug.

The Bioship lapsed into silence. No one quite knew what to say after that.

"M'gann, connect us up," Aqualad ordered as they neared the trap location. Miss Martian nodded and her eyes flashed a pupil less green.

"_Mind link established. Everyone linked up_?" Miss Martian announced telepathically. Danny winced and put a hand to his temple.

"_Ow_," he moaned.

"_Sorry Danny. Forgot that you're not used to this. You get used to it quickly_," Miss Martian apologised. Danny nodded.

"_So, all I have to do is think what I want to say and you all hear it_?" Danny muttered.

"_That's right_," Rocket confirmed.

"_Can you separate conversations? Like if I just wanted to talk to, say, Robin without you guys hearing, is that possible_?" Danny wondered.

"_No. It's an open link between the entire team, you and Gar_," Aqualad answered. Danny nodded.

"_That's fine. Just curious. Does stuff we say out loud get broadcast over this link_?" Danny inquired. The team shook their heads. Danny nodded again.

"_Try to remember to use the mental link during the mission. Normal coms run the risk of interference or hacking. This is a covert mission. So we need to stay quiet and unseen,_" Aqualad advised with a pointed look at Danny and Garfield. Garfield nodded. Danny smirked.

"_You're talking to a half-ghost Kaldur. I know how to be unseen,_" Danny remarked and flickered invisible for show. Aqualad rolled his eyes and glanced at Robin.

"_ETA three minutes,_" Robin answered Aqualad's unasked question. The leader gave a quick nod.

"_Zatanna and Raquel take the east. Wally and Artemis, you two take the west. M'gann, Conner and Gar, you take the south and Danny and Robin, you'll be with me at the north. Hold your positions until Danielle springs the trap. That way we'll know what we're dealing with,_" Aqualad delegated. The team gave grunts of affirmation, all but Danny. Danny already planned to defy Aqualad. Letting Danielle trigger the trap... if this trap was anything like his had been, that would be too late.

The Bioship landed and everyone dashed off into the orange burnt gloom in the industrial sector and followed Aqualad's orders. They didn't have to wait long before Danny's ghost sense went off. They looked up as they saw a green, cackling ghost fly overhead. Aqualad glanced to Danny, but the halfa had disappeared.

"_Danny, what are you doing?!_" Aqualad hissed.

"_Sorry Kaldur. But I can't let Dani trip this trap_," Danny replied. The Atlantean looked up as a thirteen year old girl with white hair and piercing green eyes wearing a two piece black and white jumpsuit appeared above flying towards them.

**Yeah, I think it was pretty obvious it was Danielle Phantom, but what will this trap be? Will Danny and the team protect Danielle? How will Danny handle being so close to the Guys in White?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	27. Chapter 27

Without any warning, a green ghost ray fired at Danielle. It missed her, but just barely.

"Woah! What the heck?" Danielle exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.

"Open fire!" A man shouted and about twenty men in white suits revealed themselves. Danielle screamed in alarm and began to fly off but a number of ghosts appeared in front of her. Aqualad gasped as he realised that once again Danny had been right. By triggering the trap early, it gave them a fighting chance to save Danielle.

"_Move in_!" Aqualad ordered and the team followed the command. Ghost rays out of nowhere fired at the ghosts stopping Danielle. Artemis fired arrows at them and Zatanna cast spells to make sure that the girl clone stayed as safe as possible.

"Move to plan B!" a man ordered. Aqualad and Robin blinked in shock. Plan B! They hadn't known that there was a plan B. A low pitch of noise erupted over the area. It didn't affect the teens but Danielle grimaced and looked distracted. Danny meanwhile clutched his ears and cried out. He'd accidently situated himself close to the machine and the tone brought back memories of the lab. The scientists had learned that the low tone vibrated ectoplasm and ghost energy in a way that was uncomfortable and often painful for ghosts. Danny pushed down his fears and focused on the sound. He pointed a hand to the source and fired a ghost ray at it. Unfortunately a low intensity one. He fired another and another and another until he destroyed it.

Meanwhile Danielle had landed, forced to fight the ghosts without her ground support from Danny. She was overwhelmed and the heroes were unable to stop a dart gun shooting her. The dart embedded itself in her back. Danielle stumbled before pulling the dart out and tossed it to the ground. She kept fighting but the dart's contents slowed her down and she got hit to the ground. Too weak to get up or protect herself, the ghosts beat her. Danny got to his feet and shook his head to get rid of the lingering effects of the sound. He scanned the surroundings and cried out in alarm as he saw a Guys in White agent picking up Danielle. He'd already bound and gagged her. He carried her to a ready van.

Danny sprinted through the battle, ignoring the team that called after him. He ducked under shots and side stepped ghosts. All that mattered was catching up to Danielle. He couldn't let her go through the hell he'd been through. No one should go through what he'd been through. The van roared into life and pulled away. Danny realised that running wasn't enough. He needed his flight and speed to keep up. He willed his white rings to appear. He faltered for a split second before pushing his memories aside and completed his transformation. For the first time in over a month, he changed into Danny Phantom. White hair, blazing green eyes and iconic black and white jumpsuit. He jumped into the air. There was no time to worry about his flight failing him.

He chased after the van. His flight gave him speed so that he could keep up. He glanced down once and saw a dark blur following as well. Kid Flash in stealth mode had chased after Danielle too.

"_Thanks Wally,_" Danny remarked.

"_Hey, we promised we'd save her right? Oh, and congrats on changing_," Kid Flash replied. Danny grunted.

"_Trying not to think about why I found it hard in the first place_," Danny admitted. The van turned a corner and the back opened up. A pair of Guys in White agents hefted up big anti-ghost weapons and fired at Danny. Years of dodging ghost rays and playing dodgeball against Dash came into play. Kid Flash tried to get closer but every time he did, the men shot at him too. While the weapons wouldn't hurt him, they could cause him to trip and the speed he was going could cause himself an injury.

But what the two heroes didn't know was that the guns were a distraction. The van drove down the street and a green translucent shield appeared. Kid Flash zoomed straight through it but Danny, going too fast to stop in time, crashed head first into it. Danny fell down to the ground with a concussion. Luckily he didn't break a bone. The rest of the team and Garfield ran over to Danny as he staggered to his feet. They'd followed on foot as well.

"Danny?!" Rocket shouted in concern. Blearily, Danny looked to her and stumbled towards them.

"Are you okay?" Zatanna panted.

"Ugh, not… not really. Smashed head first… into a ghost shield. I'm lucky… it wasn't one of the… the shocking ones. Ah my head," Danny slurred and rubbed his head.

Aqualad considered the halfa. He looked very unsteady.

"Miss Martian, call the Bioship," Aqualad ordered. Miss Martian nodded and her eyes glowed green. Moments later the Bioship hovered above them and they boarded. The Bioship lifted up into the air and with a quick check in with Kid Flash, they chased after the van containing Danielle.

**Well that rescue attempt didn't quite go to plan… but will they save Danielle from the Guys in White?**

**How will Danny handle facing the Guys in White? **

**Until the next chapter.**


	28. Chapter 28

They arrived at a large complex just outside the city where Kid Flash was waiting in the bushes for the others. Danny had recovered from his concussion and was still in ghost form. He was a little worried that if he reverted that he mightn't have the courage to change back. They left the camouflaged Bioship and they took in the complex which had a massive green shield covering it and plenty of guards patrolling the area.

"Maybe we should wait until we have a plan and Batman's permission," Robin whispered with a worried glance to Aqualad. Interrupting a trap was one thing, but this complex looked like a fortress. Danny shook his head.

"I don't care what you guys decide, but I'm not leaving without Dani," Danny decided and was about to charge forward. His stubborn determination preventing any overwhelming fear from surfacing. Aqualad grabbed the half-ghost's wrist and shivered at the sudden wave of cold. But somehow, the Atlantean knew it wasn't cold because Danny was scared.

"No, that's too dangerous. Besides you can't get past that shield-" Aqualad began to reason. Danny ripped his wrist out of Aqualad's grip.

"Actually I can. I have a few tricks up my sleeve Kaldur. Now I'm in ghost mode, I can do a lot of things. I'm still confident in those," Danny argued.

"Then why didn't you use those tricks earlier?" Artemis hissed. Danny looked at Artemis.

"Because that shield came out of nowhere. I had no time to react and because my tricks wouldn't have helped me catch up to Dani," Danny reasoned.

Aqualad considered the halfa.

"This is the Guys in White Danny. Are you sure you can do this?" Aqualad asked. Danny bit his lip before hardening his expression into one of determination and stubbornness.

"I can for Dani. I can't abandon her," Danny answered. Although not happy, Aqualad nodded.

"You'll listen to me this time?" Aqualad inquired. Danny shrugged. Aqualad sighed, it was the best he was going to get and he knew it.

"Alright. Robin, take Artemis and M'gann and get into the security. Locate Danielle," Aqualad ordered. Robin nodded and the trio disappeared into the gloom. Aqualad turned to the others.

"Gar stay out here with Zatanna and Wally. You three are going to keep our path clear once we get out. We might have to fight our way out," Aqualad continued. The second trio nodded.

"Raquel, Conner, Danny. We're going to save Danielle," Aqualad concluded. They all nodded.

"Remember, use the mind link," Aqualad added. And with that the group of four crept around the trees to get closer before running for the building.

They found a quiet spot to sneak inside and ran through the shield, except for Danny. He paused.

"_Come on. I thought you said you can do this_," Conner called over the mind link. Danny took a deep breath and changed to Fenton, surprising the others, and stepped through the shield. He then took another steadying breath and changed back, pushing down the worries and memories that rushed to his mind. He knew he would regret repressing all these feelings and memories once this was over, but Danielle came first. Danny nodded to the others.

"_I can do this_," Danny replied. Aqualad nodded and lead the way to a door. He tried it but found it locked.

"_Hold on Kaldur. I got it. We're in the control room now_," Robin informed the leader. A soft beep alerted to the gathered heroes that the door had unlocked itself. With one last cautionary glance at Danny, Aqualad led the way inside the complex.

"_Which way Robin_?" Aqualad asked.

"_Go straight. They've taken her straight to a lab on the first basement. There's a lift and stairs coming on up your right_," Robin informed them. The group crept down the corridor.

"_Man this feels just like when we saved you Danny_," Rocket commented, glacing at the halfa with a smirk.

"_Yeah, it was even us in this group,_" Superboy added.

"_Can we please just focus on getting to Dani,_" Danny requested. Aqualad glanced at the halfa. His jaw was set and he looked tense and once Aqualad focused on the air around him, it did feel a little cold. Danny was scared but he was pushing through. Aqualad turned back to the direction he was heading with a slight smirk. He was impressed by the teen and knew that the halfa cared for his clone deeply.

They jogged down the stairs and after confirmation from Robin over the mind link, they entered the first basement corridor. Robin directed them towards the lab Danielle had been taken to.

"_Before you guys go in there, there's a lot of guards and scientists. Be careful,_" Robin warned as they gathered around the door. Aqualad paused and glanced at his small team.

"_Conner, you go straight to Danielle and free her. Carry her if you have to, we'll cover you. Raquel, the moment we're in there, take to the air and cover Conner and the rest of us. Danny, you and I are going to protect Conner and clear a path. Think you can handle that_?" Aqualad decided. The three teens nodded.

"_I'll be fine Kaldur. Focus on Dani_," Danny replied stiffly. The air was cold to all three teens despite Danny trying his best to repress his fear.

Aqualad gave a curt nod and threw the door open. They rushed inside. At first no one noticed but then the guards pulled up their guns and began to fire. Rocket lifted herself in the air and Superboy charged straight to Danielle who was bound to an experimentation table with a scientist leering over her. Danny froze at the sight of the scientist. It was the sick scientist that had experimented on him. The overwhelming fear he'd been fighting the entire time took over. Danielle turned her frightened eyes away from the scientist and saw her rescuers.

"Danny!" Danielle shouted, pulling him out of a number of terrifying flashbacks. He pushed the fear down and regained himself. Aqualad was already fighting the guards who were turning their weapons to the traumatised halfa.

Danny shook his head and set his jaw again. He forced himself to stop his shaking knees and ran forward. Danny didn't pay attention to what he was doing. Instinct and experience took over for him and he fought the guards with his original confidence and strength. Gradually he and Conner made it to Danielle and the scientist that had been watching with intrigue.

"Release her!" Superboy commanded. He didn't want to fight the man, the scientist wouldn't be strong enough to fight the heroes.

"Why would I do that? We're going to work together to further our understanding of ghosts. Isn't that right?" the scientist replied and gave Danny a knowing smile. Danny scowled at the scientist but said nothing. Weeks of remaining quiet in this man's presence was a hard habit to break after what he'd endured to get to that point.

Conner blinked in shock and gave a slight glance at Danny. He caught the tension present and immediately understood. This scientist had "worked" with Danny. Anger flooded through Conner and at that moment he didn't care that this man wasn't carrying a weapon. This scientist deserved to be punished. Conner would just have to be careful not to punch too hard and accidently kill the guy.

The moment Superboy attacked the scientist and pushed the man away from Danny and Danielle, Danny chanced moving near Danielle.

"Danny! How did you know?" Danielle asked. Danny forced a strained smile on his face in an effort to comfort his clone. He didn't want to talk right now. It was taking an unbelievable amount of willpower to keep his terror under control. Danny examined the bonds around Danielle's wrists and ankles. They hadn't gagged her for some reason, possibly to enable them to interrogate her. That was the first thing they did to him. The bonds were designed to hold a ghost in place. But that didn't stop another ghost from touching or breaking them. He grabbed the cuff around Danielle's nearest wrist and with a display of his ghostly strength he cracked the metal and pulled it away. He repeated the action on Danielle's other wrist and then they worked together to free her ankles.

Danny helped her off the table and scanned the room. He'd unknowingly closed his terror filled mind off from the mind link and hadn't gotten any of Robin's updates, but he didn't need them to see they were in trouble. Guards were flooding the lab, guns in their hands and pointing at the teens fighting to save Danielle.

"Make sure to recapture the ghosts!" one guard shouted to his team.

**Yeah… Danny's struggling. But you can't really blame him. **

**Will the team get out with both halfas?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	29. Chapter 29

Aqualad pushed down the guard he'd knocked unconscious and scanned the room breathlessly. He spotted Danny and Danielle by the experimentation table. Miss Martian had informed them that Danny had broken the connection to the mind link. She had sounded a little shaky when it happened. Superboy had attacked the scientist and was now being bombarded by guards. The scientist had escaped. Rocket was trying to help Superboy but the guards had caught on to their tactic and shot at her almost as much as they fired at the others. Although despite the guards' efforts, Rocket had managed to keep Danny safe while he freed Danielle.

Aqualad looked to the door and gulped. The guard count had doubled since the last time he looked.

"_Robin, can you do anything? We're going to be overwhelmed_," Aqualad requested and ducked under an attack fired in his direction.

"_I'm trying Kaldur. But they're responding to a priority alarm. The others are trying to get inside but the guards outside are holding them off for now. I'd help but we're trapped in here too. But once you guys get out of there, you'll have no opposition until you get outside,_" Robin informed the leader.

"_Any luck reconnecting Danny_?" Aqualad inquired.

"_No. He's completely blocked off. I could reach him if I forced him to drop his mental barriers but that would break the rest of the mind link and I don't know how that would affect Danny_," Miss Martian answered.

Aqualad frowned as he understood. He made his way over to Danny. He should have never agreed to let Danny come with them. Danielle and Danny were holding their own using their ghost rays but they were pinned down. Aqualad reached them eventually.

"Danny! We need to get out of here. You need to use one of those tricks you mentioned," Aqualad shouted over the fighting. Danielle glanced at the Atlantean.

"I can only think of one. Right Danny?" Danielle remarked. Danny paused in his attacks and glanced at Danielle. She was right. Ice was way too dangerous to use. He was terrified and his ice was always extra powerful when he was scared. Duplication would even up the numbers but not nearly enough. Telekinesis would require too much concentration. The only option was his ghostly wail.

Danny took a steadying breath as he tried to push down the memories connected to that power. He nodded.

"Colorado," he muttered. Danielle nodded in agreement. She turned to Aqualad.

"Cover your ears and keep behind Danny. Be ready to run. I'll grab Danny," Danielle ordered. Aqualad blinked in surprise. But he didn't argue. Instead he relayed the message to Rocket and Superboy over the mind link. Danny widened his stance and braced himself. His most powerful attack. The one that had earned him hours of torture just as a punishment. He took a deep breath and held it. He hesitated. He shook his head and pushed down his fear even further and pushed onwards. He took a second deep breath and let it out.

Aqualad, Superboy and Rocket were shocked by the scream. It sounded terrible but its power was aweing. The guards were blown back and many were knocked unconscious. The equipment was damaged, some beyond repair. As the shout petered off, Danny slumped forwards, Danielle caught him. Using her own ghostly strength she held him up and began to run out of the lab. It took a second for Aqualad, Superboy and Rocket to gather themselves enough to follow.

They raced out of the base. Danielle didn't stop for anything. Danny, while weakened, remained in his ghost form. But he might as well have passed out for all the aid he could give. They burst out of the base. Robin, Miss Martian and Artemis joined them as the ghost shield fell.

"You can thank me later," Robin remarked with a cocky smirk. The two groups fled and fought off their attackers. Miss Martian called her Bioship and they boarded within seconds. With everyone plus Danielle on board, they flew away.

"Can we ever pull off a rescue mission without being chased away?" Wally commented, hoping to lighten the mood.

Danny sat tiredly in his seat, remaining in ghost form and trying to keep his thoughts on anything but the memories that were trying to remind him of what he'd been through. Of what Danielle had nearly been put through. His hands were shaking despite being clenched into tight, painful fists. His knees felt like jelly and he was struggling to keep his ice core under control.

Danielle glanced at her cousin beside her, worry shining in her neon green eyes. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder but he didn't seem to notice. She'd heard the rumours but she hadn't believed them until now. Danny was strong. There was no way the Guys in White, more like idiots in white in her opinion, could catch the infamous Danny Phantom. But the proof was staring her in the face. He hadn't said a word to her other than "Colorado". Even that had seemed to be an effort for him. He'd hesitated in using his ghostly wail. And it wasn't because he knew it weakened him. She could feel the waves of terrified icy air radiating off the halfa.

"Lex Luthor was in the building," Robin whispered to Kaldur. Kaldur turned to the boy wonder.

"Why?" the Atlantean asked. Robin shrugged.

"I don't know. But he was talking to a bunch of scientists before the alarms were tripped. I lost sight of him during the chaos," Robin answered. Lex Luthor was a tough subject for Conner since they had a complicated history. But they couldn't ignore that Luthor was part of the Light. And if the Light was interested in the Guys in White, that could only be a bad thing.

**Oooh! Lex Luthor and the Light have made an appearance! What will that mean for our heroes!?**

**But they saved Danielle… although will Danny be okay?**

**Will Batman find out? How will he react?**

**Let me know what theories you might have. I love hearing them.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	30. Chapter 30

The Bioship landed in the hanger and the teens got off. Batman loomed in the doorway waiting for them. Danny shrank away from the stare. But Batman couldn't bring himself to care. Danny left the cave. He was under their protection but only if they knew where he was. He was angry at the team too. They'd decided to take their own mission and brought Danny and Garfield. Garfield wasn't trained! He had barely enough control of his powers to change into animals in a safe and controlled location. Definitely not enough experience to be able to adapt to a chaotic battle field.

Batman's famous glare lessened a degree when he saw the girl they saved though. He pointed at Kaldur and Robin, leader and second-in-command.

"Explain. Now!" Batman demanded. Obediently, they explained what happened. With a sigh, Batman shook his head.

"It's late. I'll deal with you all tomorrow. But there will be consequences for this, I assure you all," Batman relented before turning to leave. The team let out a collective sigh of relief. They didn't have to face the caped crusader's wrath that night after all. Danny slipped away and made his way to the medical facility. He needed to be somewhere he felt safe. He needed to be alone. He needed to let his fear out.

He flung open his door and stepped inside. He checked that he was alone, knowing that Black Canary would want to talk to him. He was. He pushed the door shut and locked it. He leant against the wall and allowed himself to slide to the ground. With a soft sob, he changed to Fenton and allowed the memories and feelings to take over. The room chilled instantly and frost crept along the floor and wall from the halfa. He cried silently and trembled in terror as he was forced to hear his silent screams of agony from hours of crying out after using his ghostly wail against the scientists. He could feel the ecto-ranium and blood blossoms on his skin. Every few seconds a pulse of excruciating electricity coursed through him. His fear was overwhelming. He forgot that he was safe now. He no longer saw the medical facility. He curled into a tight defensive ball and relived some of the worst moments of his life.

Danielle was the first to notice Danny's absence. The others were busying winding down from the mission. Artemis checking over her quiver. Wally was eating some protein bars to regain his energy. Kaldur was checking over his water bearers for any sign of damage. Robin was typing on his gauntlet with a frown, checking over the information he stole from the Guys in White. Zatanna was checking over Garfield and Danielle for any injuries. Raquel was making sure her belt was in full working order. Conner was busy greeting Wolf and Sphere and M'gann was doing some maintenance on her Bioship.

"Where's Danny?" Danielle asked worriedly. The team paused in their actions and scanned the hanger.

"Maybe he went to get some sleep. He looked tired," Garfield offered. Danielle bit her lip. She wasn't sure that her cousin should be alone right now.

"I'm sure he's fine Danielle. Come on we'll find you somewhere to sleep," Zatanna offered, secretly worried about Danny herself. He rarely left without saying something. He may have lied to them when he was training in secret, but he had at least said that he wasn't going to be available. But the team was tired and it had been a long day. Besides, Danny was probably just tired and would be fine.

The next morning, M'gann greeted Danielle in her human form as she walked into the kitchen.

"You found the kitchen then," the Martian commented. Danielle laughed.

"I followed my nose. It smells great!" Danielle replied. M'gann grinned and gave the girl some food. The team was going to spend the entire day together so that no one got cornered by Batman by themselves and got chewed out for what happened the night previously. Zatanna and Conner walked in a few minutes later.

"Hey Danielle," Zatanna greeted the female halfa.

"Call me Dani, with an i," Danielle retorted and swallowed another mouthful of food, not seeing the shared look between the two girls. They could already see a problem in identifying the two halfas by name.

"She eats like Wally," Conner commented with an astounded expression. Danielle ignored him.

M'gann laughed and handed the two teens their own servings.

"I'm just glad she likes my cooking," M'gann replied. Garfield yawned as he joined them. M'gann frowned.

"Hey, is Danny alright? He usually comes in with you," M'gann asked. Garfield shrugged.

"Must be still asleep. I knocked but he didn't reply," Garfield informed her and smiled gratefully as she handed him his own breakfast.

"Dani, that scream of Danny's… what was it? I meant to ask last night," Conner asked, his ears were ringing for hours the previous night.

"That's Danny's ghostly wail. It's his most powerful attack but it always exhausts him to use it," Danielle explained as she shovelled the last mouthful of food into her mouth.

"Maybe that's why he isn't up yet Gar. He's probably still tired from using it. Besides, he doesn't get enough sleep," Zatanna offered. Danielle frowned but didn't contradict them.

Within the next hour, the rest of the team arrived and Danielle was given a tour of the cave but there was still no sign of Danny. They were getting worried now. Especially Kaldur. He'd noticed how much Danielle's rescue had affected Danny. Black Canary arrived once they'd finished their tour.

"Hello, you must be Danielle. I'm Black Canary. I'm glad to see you're coping alright with what happened to you," Black Canary greeted the female halfa. Danielle shrugged.

"Nothing really happened. Thanks to you guys. Besides, that wasn't my first time being a science experiment," Danielle replied. The team, Garfield and Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"I can always count on Danny to save me," Danielle muttered with a smile.

"You knew he'd come?" Wally inquired.

"I saw him when those Guys in White caught me. They didn't sedate me, I was paralysed temporarily. So I knew Danny would come after me. Not sure how he knew about that trap, but I'm glad he did," Danielle explained.

"You said that wasn't the first time you were a science experiment," Raquel reminded the girl, supressing a horrified shudder.

"Yeah. My creator. I'm guessing you know I'm a clone of Danny. An imperfect one. Well, my creator caught me and tried to melt me down. I was destabilising. But Danny got to me and stabilised me just in time," Danielle recalled.

"How?" Robin asked. He never pegged Danny as the scientist type.

"His parents were working on something called… I think it was ecto-dejecto. It didn't work like it was meant to and Danny figured it would stabilise me. He was right. It was a gamble but it paid off," Danielle answered.

"So he saved your life," Artemis realised.

"More than once. He showed me that I didn't have to listen to my creator. He showed me that I was just a pawn to my creator. He's always been there to lend me a hand when I need it. I can see that Danny's struggling. I want to help _him_ this time," Danielle replied.

"Really. Do you have any suggestions?" Black Canary inquired. Danielle shook her head.

"No. Danny's always seemed so strong and constant before. But last night… I've never seen him like that. It… it was scary," Danielle admitted with a frown.

"Where is Danny?" Black Canary inquired.

"We haven't seen him since last night," Kaldur answered. Black Canary hid her concern. She led the way to the medical facility. She knocked on the door.

"Danny?! Can I come in?!" Black Canary called through the door. There was no answer. She frowned.

"Danny?! I'm coming in alright?! I just want to check that you're okay?!" Black Canary attempted again. There was no reply. With a sigh, Black Canary pushed down the handle. She hated invading Danny's privacy. But he was worrying her. She scowled as she pushed the door but it didn't open. She tried again. The door was locked. Danny never locked the door. Black Canary believed it was a result of being trapped for so long. Leaving the door unlocked helped to keep him at ease. So why on earth would he chose to lock it now?

**Is Danny okay!? **

**Will Danielle be able to help Danny?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	31. Chapter 31

Black Canary crouched down and tried to peer through the keyhole but it was black. The key was still in the door.

"Back up. I'm breaking it open," Black Canary warned, hiding her frantic worry as much as possible.

"I could just phase us in," Danielle offered. Black Canary turned to her. She'd forgotten that Danielle had powers as well as Danny. And she wasn't mentally scarred so she could use them. Black Canary nodded.

"But only you. The rest of you, wait here," Black Canary decided. Danielle nodded and took the heroine's hand. She turned them both intangible.

"You okay? It's a little weird at first but you get used to it," Danielle asked. Black Canary couldn't disagree. She did feel peculiar. She felt weightless and almost like she was no longer present despite the others being able to see her.

"I'm fine. But I have to admit, this is a lot different to density shifting with Manhunter," Black Canary muttered.

Danielle then led the way and pulled Black Canary through the wall beside the door. It took a lot of willpower for Black Canary not to fight the girl. Walking straight into a wall felt wrong and instinct screamed at her to stop. But they passed harmlessly through the wall and into a freezing cold, dark room. Danielle charged her hand with green energy to light the room. In the eerie gloom, Black Canary gasped. Frost and ice spread out from Danny. He was huddled beside the door shivering, whether from fear or the cold wasn't clear. She walked over to the teen. The frost crunched under foot. She knelt beside Danny and put a hand out to touch him.

"Probably better I do that Black Canary. Ghosts are more durable than humans," Danielle interjected and changed into her ghost form in a flash of light.

Danielle knelt beside Danny and gently touched her cousin. His head jerked up, his blue eyes wide and panicked as he shrank away.

"Danny, it's me. It's alright," Danielle murmured.

"Dani," he croaked. Danielle smiled patiently.

"Yep. You okay?" Danielle replied. Danny blinked at her before taking in the room.

"How long have I been in here?" he whispered, looking almost ashamed of himself.

"Overnight. We were worried when you didn't come out for breakfast," Danielle answered. Danny unfurled his tight huddle. He was stiff and tired. He didn't think he slept last night. It was hard to tell between the flash backs.

"Sorry about the ice," he muttered. Black Canary shook her head.

"It's fine Danny. As long as you're alright, the ice doesn't matter," Black Canary assured him. She stood up.

"I'm going to put on a light alright? I'll be right back," Black Canary told him. Danny nodded and flinched as the bright light hit his tired eyes.

In the light, Black Canary could see how upset Danny was. The room glistened with frost. Almost every inch of the room was covered, especially close to Danny. The door was frozen shut as well as locked. Danny looked cold too. His lips were tinged blue and he was shivering. Black Canary grabbed a blanket and turned up the thermostat before she returned to the halfa. She handed it to Danny, not wanting to make him feel in anyway trapped or threatened. Danny gave her a weak grateful smile as he took the blanket and wrapped it carefully around himself. His eyes were blood shot and ice covered his cheeks, he'd been crying a lot.

"Danielle, could you get something for Danny to eat and some tea? M'gann will know where everything is," Black Canary requested. Danielle glanced at Black Canary, reluctant to leave her cousin, but obeyed by phasing out of the door.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Black Canary asked now that Danielle was gone. Danny sighed, his breath clouding from the cold.

"I suppose I should. I don't want to but I was considering it before this," Danny admitted. Black Canary blinked in surprise. She had almost given up hope in getting him to open up.

"Do you want to though? I don't want to force you into anything. Especially if you're not ready to face this," Black Canary replied. Danny shrugged.

"I think it's obvious I need help. I… I had to use my ghostly wail last night. It's one of the powers I've been having trouble with," Danny began. Black Canary blinked in surprise again. She hadn't expected Danny to open up so readily. But she wasn't going to stop him now that he started. She could only hope that Danielle would take her time to return.

"Remember how I said I use my powers instinctively sometimes?" Danny continued. Black Canary nodded, hardly daring to speak in case it stopped him.

"My ghostly wail is one of them. I only learned to use it because I was cornered and in trouble. It's really powerful too. I can take down a building with it. Well… when I was… when I was with the Guys in White. I felt the same way," Danny resumed, Black Canary held her breath in anticipation. Danny had always avoided mentioning the Guys in White by name.

"I was screaming and it changed into my wail. I don't remember much because I think they sedated me. But they were angry. Really angry. So they punished me when I woke up. They… they put blood blossoms on me and stabbed ecto-ranium into my body and attached electrodes. They set a machine to electrocute me every so often and left me there for hours. Blood blossoms and ecto-ranium… they hurt. A lot. I felt like I was burning. From the outside and then from the inside when the electricity hit. I was gagged after that. I lost my voice anyway for a few days. And last night. I had to use it. It was the only way to save Dani and the others," Danny explained.

Black Canary was silent. She could sense that there was a lot more to the story but if this was just a taste of what Danny had been through… then no wonder he didn't want to talk about it.

"But that wasn't the only thing I was forced to remember last night. I had to change into my ghost form. Ever since that lab, I haven't been able to push myself to do it. Every time I try, I can't help but remember that every time I changed meant another experiment. I don't know everything they did. I think they did the stuff they could do while I was human when I was drugged. But I was awake for the times they wanted to understand Phantom better. Changing before had always been something I liked. Phantom was my escape as well as my responsibility. Fighting ghosts… a lot of the time it was fun. The adrenaline rush and misplaced aggression were therapeutic. But now. Every time I even consider changing… all I think about is the experiments," Danny mumbled.

Black Canary nodded encouragingly. Everything was making so much sense. Danny's fear of anger originated from that inhumane punishment and was probably reinforced by other acts of punishing brutality. His reluctance to change his form. It filled Black Canary with a deep seated rage to hear how those monsters had defiled something so close to Danny. He loved his ghost half, but now it only reminded him of what he'd been through. The ghostly wail. It had clearly been a mistake. A defence mechanism. But the scientists had cruelly tortured him for it.

"There were a lot of scientists that… that worked with me I'll put it. But there was one in particular that I dreaded. He was sick. He told me over and over again that everything I was going through was for the best. I was teaching them so much about ghosts. I hated being told that. Not all ghosts are evil and none of them deserve to be destroyed but… I couldn't stop them. I was helpless to stop them from taking… notes. They could use what they learned from me to hurt the ghosts. Especially Dani or my ghost friends. I think he liked doing the things he did to me. He was there last night too," Danny resumed. Black Canary hid her pity for the boy. No wonder he'd had such a violent reaction. He hadn't been ready to face his past and yet he'd been forced to confront some of the hardest aspects of it all at once.

Danielle phased into the room with a steaming cup of tea and a plate of food.

"Sorry I took so long. Here Danny," Danielle announced and handed the food and tea to her cousin. Danny took them but made no move to eat. He held the cup close but didn't drink.

"Danny, at least drink the tea. It'll help warm you up and calm you down," Black Canary encouraged. Danny took a small sip of tea to appease her. He found the tea was helping and he sipped at it until it was gone, but he didn't touch the food. He had no appetite. While Danny drank his tea and ignored his food, Danielle worked to defrost the room using her ghost ray.

**Danny's finally opening up to Black Canary!**

**And a little more about what the Guys in White did to our favourite halfa.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	32. Chapter 32

The team and Garfield sat outside the medical facility waiting for any news. Black Canary had been in there for a long time with Danielle and Danny. Their worries obviously were founded. Kaldur stared at the door, anxious for news on the damaged boy beyond. He should have fought harder to leave Danny behind. It was his fault that Danny may have lost all his progress in getting over his trauma. The teens wanted to go in and help comfort Danny, but they all felt that Danny had his reasons for locking the door. He wanted to be alone and they all remembered the last time Danny broke down with fear. That day at the beach was burned into their memories.

Danielle had come out for a few minutes and asked M'gann to make a cup of tea and get some food for Danny. It was a relief to hear that Danny was in fact in the room. That he hadn't run away or done something that he'd regret. There were a lot of sharp objects in that room. They'd been surprised to see Danielle in her ghost form but then again, Danny froze things when he got overwhelmed. The girl must have done that to get close to the halfa.

Roughly twenty minutes after Black Canary went into the room, the door unlocked and Black Canary stepped outside, closing the door behind her. The team jumped to their feet.

"Is Danny okay?" a number of them asked. Black Canary sighed and nodded.

"He'll be fine, but I doubt he'll be coming out today. So go on, if you need me, I'll be in here," Black Canary assured them. The team could sense that the heroine hadn't wanted to leave Danny but had wanted to assure them that the halfa was alright. Reluctantly they nodded and with muttered assurances that if they were needed they'd help, they left the medical facility door.

Danielle joined them soon after.

"Dani, what happened in there?" Wally inquired. Danielle smiled sadly.

"I think Danny just got a little overwhelmed by last night. He froze the room by accident. That's why he locked the door. But Black Canary's talking to him now," Danielle told them. The team and Garfield shared worried looks amongst themselves.

"But he's alright now?" Artemis ventured. Danielle shrugged.

"He's talking. I got the impression that it was about stuff he didn't want me to know about though so I didn't ask. He drank the tea but didn't touch the food," Danielle answered.

The team didn't like the sound of that. Since being at the cave, Danny hadn't skipped any meals.

"I shouldn't have let him come with us," Kaldur whispered. The group turned to him.

"Kaldur, he wouldn't take no for an answer. Remember he threatened to stow away anyway," Robin reminded the Atlantean.

"Besides, it's not your fault. I wasn't careful enough. I don't usually go chasing ghosts like I did. But I was curious. I should've ran away when that stray shot missed me," Danielle spoke up. The teens turned to her.

"What do you mean? It's not your fault. It was a trap. You couldn't have known that," Zatanna assured the clone.

Danielle sighed and nodded.

"Maybe. But I should have checked in on Danny when I heard the rumours. I just assumed they were lies. If I'd checked in, then maybe I would have gone looking for him and he wouldn't be like this. I'd at least have been more careful and wouldn't have been caught," Danielle retorted.

"You don't know that Dani," Raquel muttered. Danielle shrugged.

"I know. But I want to help him now that I can. But Danny doesn't ask for help unless he really needs it. And he's _really_ stubborn," Danielle replied.

"How well do you know Danny?" Conner asked.

"Not really well I'll admit. I've only met him twice. The first time was when I… I was working for my creator. But I did get to spend a little time with him before… well before I betrayed him. The second time was when I was destabilising. I kind of got used as bait by a ghost hunter. But she was cool once Danny explained a few things. At least that's what she said," Danielle answered.

"Then how do you know him so well?" Robin inquired.

"I don't know him well. But I'm his clone. I was designed to be as close a copy as possible. But somewhere along the line the DNA got messed up or something and I ended up a girl. But I know that he'd never hurt me. Even when I was trying to take him back to my creator, he refused to fight. He saw that every clone he fought, destabilised and turned into a puddle," Danielle explained.

"Clones? As in plural?" Artemis pointed out. Danielle nodded.

"My creator tried to clone Danny a bunch of times. Most didn't even take a form. Binding human and ghost DNA isn't easy. There were four others besides me. The "good" clone never left its pod. But the other three, my creator used them to trap Danny… well them and me. Actually my creator wanted to take a mid-morph sample to finish his "good" clone. Made us "imperfect" clones try and force Danny to change," Danielle confirmed, saying the words good and imperfect with venom.

"How?" Wally asked.

"Overshadowing. But Danny's not easy to control. My creator learned that the hard way," Danielle answered with a smirk.

"Overshadowing?" Garfield repeated confused. He wasn't the only one.

"Oh, right. You guys are pretty new to this whole ghost thing aren't you? Overshadowing is a form of possession. Most ghosts can do it. Danny and I can. Basically it's taking control of someone's body and beating the subconscious into submission. Strong willed people can fight it off though. Well, it depends on the ghost and human. Like natural enemies with strong wills generally battle for control. But if one is weaker, then they lose. Also time is a factor. The longer someone is overshadowed, the more likely they'll fight off the ghost. I can show you if you'd like?" Danielle explained. The team quickly declined the demonstration. Being controlled wasn't something they wanted, especially after the previous New Year.

"What powers do you and Danny have?" Zatanna wondered aloud. Danielle shrugged.

"I don't know all Danny's powers. I know he has the basics, invisibility, intangibility and flight. Ghost ray is pretty standard too and overshadowing. Oh and a ghost sense. We both have those. But that's all I have. Danny has his ghostly wail. And I guess he has ice powers. But I've only seen him in like two fights. The first he didn't really have a chance because it… well it was two against one and he didn't know that. The second, he was more worried about me than fighting my creator," Danielle answered.

"So you don't know what these tricks he said he had are?" Robin muttered. They were all intrigued by those.

"Sorry, no. The ghostly wail is the only one I know of. But like I said. It's powerful but exhausting for Danny," Danielle retorted.

"Say, Dani. What does Colorado mean?" Kaldur asked, recalling the mention from the rescue.

"It's where my creator took him and made me. He used his ghostly wail to destroy the lab and the cloning equipment. He completely exhausted himself and I couldn't protect him without using my powers and destabilising. Luckily Sam and Tucker got there in time," Danielle replied.

"Sam and Tucker. You've met them," M'gann realised. Danielle chuckled nervously and rubbed her neck.

"Yeah. Kind of got them into a lot of trouble by starting a food fight at their school and they got blamed. Not sure if they like me or not but they were there for Danny," Danielle admitted.

**Just a bit of explanations for the team and them learning about Danielle. **

**Do you think that Danielle will be able to help Danny though?**

**Will Danny have lost his progress?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	33. Chapter 33

Danny took a deep breath. He'd told Black Canary all about how he got captured. How the Guys in White learned he was a halfa. He explained why he refused to have anything to help him sleep. Waking up with the all too familiar haziness from sedation reminded him of his ordeal. And that often lead to panic and fear. He told her a little more about the types of experiments the scientists did on him. He avoided the finer grim details but Black Canary had a very good idea of what the teen had been through. It took hours. But Danny told the heroine everything. It felt good to get it out of his head. He spoke in an even tone with little emotion. He had to stop sometimes to gather his thoughts and calm himself down. But he still told her everything.

Black Canary remained quiet, only daring to speak to ask a question or to clarify something. She did feel the air chill at times but the memories Danny spoke of at those times, it was more than understandable. She was surprised by how relaxed Danny seemed. It seemed that he had been right about waiting until now to talk to her. He was ready to talk now. It was a relief for the heroine. She had feared that the teen was trying to repress everything and forget. And repressing such horrifying memories would cause the boy problems.

Danny admitted that every night he had nightmares. Black Canary hadn't known that he had them every night. She knew he got them, often. The haunted look in his eyes some mornings was all she needed to know that he'd had a nightmare. But now, she learned that she'd only realised that after he had his worst nightmares.

Finally Danny explained how his private training outside the cave had been. He explained how his ghost ray wasn't as reliable as it once was. He was afraid of turning into Phantom and so couldn't practice his other powers. The ones he was still confident in. Black Canary could see how disheartening that could be. To only be able to practice the powers that rebelled against you and haunted your nightmares. It would be difficult. Danny also explained in greater depth of his fear of using his intangibility and even explained how despite his love of flying, he was reluctant to try. He was afraid of falling like before.

Danny explained how ghosts worked on emotions and his powers were directly tied to them. If he was frightened and desperately wanted to disappear, he might turn invisible. Cornered and threatened, he could use his ghostly wail without meaning to. Angry, his ghost ray lashed out and his eyes generally flashed green. Ice powers, he suspected it was a defence and calming tactic when he was terrified and overwhelmed. He didn't always know he was cooling the air.

As Black Canary listened, she understood. Danny had distanced himself to practice because he was worried of losing control and hurting someone. The same reason he locked himself away for the night when he had his break down. But she also saw why Danny was so guarded. If his emotions were tied to his powers, if he became emotionally unstable he could hurt someone with his powers by accident. Danny had also explained that his powers were limited in his human form which meant that in a way, it was safer for him to remain human during stressful situations. Not necessarily for him, but for others.

By the time Danny had said all he was willing to that day, it was late afternoon. Black Canary could see that Danny was exhausted. The plate of food had been forgotten and Danny was still holding the now empty mug. He hadn't moved from where they found him. Black Canary bit her lip.

"Danny, perhaps you should get some sleep. Would you like another cup of tea? Or something to eat?" Black Canary suggested, motioning to the plate beside him. Danny shook his head.

"No. I'll be fine. Thanks Black Canary," Danny replied with a small smile. Black Canary nodded and stood up. She debated helping the boy up but he made no move to stand. So she stepped out of the medical facility and closed the door behind her.

Once again alone, Danny put down the cup and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt… a lot better. Getting so much off his chest and out of his head was freeing. He allowed himself a smile. He'd done it. He'd told someone what he'd been through. Jazz would be proud. He gave a soft chuckle. Maybe now he could write home and let them know he was alright. With cracking joints and dull aches from lack of use and hours of being still and tense, Danny heaved himself to his feet. With numb legs, he staggered to his bed. He opened the drawer and pulled out the bundle of letters. He read them and smiled fondly at the words written to him. He didn't remember lying down or falling sleep, but for the first time since arriving at the cave, he didn't dream.

**What will this mean for Danny?**

**Is he better?!**

**Until the next chapter.**


	34. Chapter 34

The next morning, Danny arrived at breakfast feeling rested. He'd slept through the night without waking up once from nightmares. He was in an extremely good mood as a result, surprising M'gann, Zatanna, Garfield and Conner. Danielle was just glad to see that her cousin was feeling better and motioned for him to sit next to her.

"Hey," Danny greeted the group brightly.

"You're… You're okay then?" M'gann commented stunned by how cheerful Danny was. Danny smirked and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you all yesterday," Danny replied as he grabbed some orange juice. He was starving. He hadn't eaten since before Danielle's rescue and now he wasn't exhausted, his appetite had returned.

"You're sure? Because it's alright if you're not," Garfield inquired. Danny nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of orange juice.

"Yep, best I've felt in a while. Promise," Danny assured them.

Stunned by the change in Danny, they ate their breakfast in moderate silence. Once they'd finished, Conner, Zatanna and M'gann got ready for school, M'gann shapeshifting into her human guise of Megan Morse. The trio of teens whispered to Garfield to keep an eye on Danny for them before they left. Garfield returned to the kitchen to hear Danny and Danielle talking.

"So, you're okay Dani?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you got caught by the Guys in White." Garfield was shocked. Danny said the name Guys in White. Danielle scoffed.

"Those idiots got lucky. I mean they gave away their position with that stray shot."

"Dani, that stray shot was me. I was warning you."

"What? But…"

"I've been having problems Dani. I'm guessing you've noticed. One is changing into Phantom. The only thing I could think of doing was shooting at you. I was careful to miss you but I had to make it look convincing. I didn't know they had a plan B. I'm afraid they learned about that frequency from me," Danny explained with a sigh. Garfield hardly dared to breathe. Danny was being a lot freer with what had happened to him. Could it be because of yesterday? Or could it be Danielle's presence?

"What do you mean? They learned it from you," Danielle asked, fear creeping into her voice at the implications of Danny's words.

"You don't want to know the details Dani. But the Guys in White didn't just question me," Danny muttered with a shake of his head. Both Garfield and Danielle swallowed down their horror at that comment. Garfield had known that Danny had been through a lot. But the resigned way Danny said it, meant it wasn't just once or twice that he'd been experimented on. Garfield remembered what M'gann told him. Danny had basically been tortured for six weeks. Apart from a couple of incidents, Danny hadn't seemed like a victim. Yeah, he was nervous and jumpy. But he didn't seem as scarred as that comment suggested.

"I'm so sorry Danny. I should have listened to those rumours."

"Dani. Trust me. There was nothing you could have done."

"But I could have found you. I could have broken you out."

"I appreciate the concern Dani, but I mean it. There was nothing you could have done. Even if you had found me. I wouldn't have been able to help you fight off the guards. Whenever I was alone, I was sedated."

"You were?"

"Yeah. And I was weak too. Couldn't stand by myself for a few days when these guys got me here."

Garfield hadn't known that. None of the team had. Garfield waited a few more seconds before stepping into the kitchen.

"Hey," Garfield announced himself, unsure if Danny had meant for this conversation to have been private. However with one glance, Danny knew he'd been listening.

"Hey Gar, how much did you hear?" Danny replied. Garfield deflated.

"How could you tell?" Garfield inquired, certain that he'd been quiet.

"The look on your face said it all dude. You're not the best actor," Danny answered with a smirk.

"Are you mad?" Garfield ventured. Danielle nodded with an angry expression.

"Nah, you're just worried. I know I'm probably acting a little different to how you've seen me. But actually, I feel more like myself right now than I have for weeks," Danny assured the green boy.

Danielle frowned and turned to her cousin.

"What does that mean?" Danielle prompted. Danny shook his head.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Danny assured her. Danielle scowled in annoyance at the older halfa before looking to Garfield standing beside the table.

"Where are the others?" she asked Garfield. The green furred boy blinked in surprise at the change in subject.

"Er, school," Garfield answered. Danielle turned to Danny.

"How come you're not going then?" Danielle demanded. Garfield had half a mind to tell the clone to take it easy on Danny since he didn't deal with hostility well, but Danny just laughed.

"Dani, I'm not playing hooky alright. Not that you're one to talk. Since my time with the Guys in White I've been a bit jumpy and big, loud crowds isn't a good idea. Me and Gar get home schooled by the cave den mother, Red Tornado," Danny explained.

"Man, what happened to you?" Garfield muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. Danny smirked.

"I had a long chat with Black Canary and got a lot of things off my chest. That's all. Oh, and the first good night's sleep in I don't know how long. That helps," Danny replied. Garfield blinked at the halfa. Danny stood up and stretched.

"Probably about the time RT calls us for school right? Come on Dani," Danny remarked. Danielle folded her arms defiantly.

"I don't _do_ school," Danielle protested with a scowl. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Yes you do. If I have to sit through a lecture from a red android, so do you. Come on," Danny decided. Danielle cried out in alarm as Danny grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Besides, there's no way Batman will let you off getting an education," Danny muttered as an afterthought. Garfield laughed as he followed the halfas, Danielle struggling against her stronger original.

**So Danny's feeling a lot better after talking to Black Canary.**

**But don't be fooled, Danny isn't suddenly cured of everything as you'll see.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	35. Chapter 35

Black Canary took Garfield and Danny for training after their home schooling. Danielle had been kept back as since she'd never been to school, she was behind in her studies. She knew how to read, but she knew very little else and her reading capability wasn't to a high level. Garfield went first and changed into a tiger and then a snake. They were the next animals that Garfield was trying to master changing into and he was getting faster. It took him less and less time to master a form every time, soon he'd be able to change into any animal without too much thought. Next came the harder part, understanding what each new animal form was capable of and so how they fought. The eventual goal was for Garfield to join the team.

Then it was Danny's turn. Now that Black Canary understood Danny's fears and insecurities better, she knew the best thing to get Danny to try. First, he needed to conquer his fear of turning into Phantom. Then he could train all his powers, both the ones he'd lost confidence in and the ones he was still comfortable with. Being able to change into Phantom would also give Danny a massive boost in confidence.

After the third time Danny tried to change but stopped due to the memories, Black Canary decided to work on Danny's ghost ray. She didn't want to force him too much in case he lapsed into a panic attack. His ghost ray had shown the most improvement. His aim was almost perfect. It was more his confidence in it and its intensity that was the issue. But Black Canary could see that he was improving every day.

As they were training Danny's ghost ray, the team arrived. Garfield went over to them.

"Hey guys," he greeted them, keeping is voice low so as not to distract Danny.

"Hey. So, how's Danny?" Zatanna whispered. Garfield glanced at the halfa.

"Better. He's a lot more confident. Apparently he talked to Black Canary yesterday and got a good night's sleep. He's been in a good mood all day," Garfield answered. The team gave a collective sigh of relief. Not all of them had heard about Danny's behaviour that morning but they had all been concerned about the halfa after the previous day.

"Danny, you're doing fine. But you have to concentrate," Black Canary called to the halfa.

"I am Black Canary. That's not the issue. Target practice only does so much. I think I need to get some action," Danny retorted. The team were surprised. Black Canary frowned in confusion.

"Meaning?"

"I think I should get back into ghost fighting."

"But Danny-"

"I know. I do. But I've always learnt by doing. And when I'm pushed, I can do what I have to. Besides, I probably should show my face in the ghost community. I have a rep to protect," Danny interrupted. Black Canary sighed. He'd always been right about what he needed but she was worried that he was trying to push himself too much.

"How do you suggest doing that?" Black Canary inquired.

Danny bit his lip in thought.

"If you're looking for ghosts, best place is Amity Park. But I'm not sure about going back so soon," Danny admitted. Black Canary was filled with relief. Danny wasn't trying to push himself too far after all.

"Hey, what about a friendly spar with me then?" Danielle called as she walked into the room. Danny turned to her. He nodded slowly as he considered the idea.

"Could work. You done that before?"

Danielle shrugged in reply.

"How do you think I learnt to use my powers?"

Danny smirked at his clone's retort.

"Never really thought about it. But if you're up for it. Human form only?"

Danny nodded in agreement to the suggestion.

"Alright. Never done that before. How do we know who wins?"

"How about a timed spar? First to tap out wins until the clock runs out," Black Canary interjected, feeling that the halfas needed to be reminded that there were others present.

The halfas nodded and slipped into ready stances. The team, having not been noticed, backed into a discrete corner to watch. Danielle fired the first shot. Danny dodged the ghost ray and then fired his own.

"Sorry if I'm a little strong by the way Dani," Danny warned. Danielle grunted in recognition as she fired another ghost ray.

"Wow, never knew how powered down I am when I'm human. Never tried to fight while grounded," Danielle commented. Danny smirked. He'd had a couple of ghost fights while human so he was at an advantage there. But then again, Danielle was confident in her powers so she had the advantage there, levelling the playing ground. Danielle ducked under a charged punch and swept Danny's legs out from under him. He fell to the ground but rolled away before Danielle could take advantage of it.

Danielle charged at Danny with glowing fists and landed the first hit while he was getting to his feet. Danny was thrown back off his feet and hit the wall. Everyone started forward to help but stopped when they heard Danny.

"Ugh. Why does that feel familiar?" Danny groaned.

"Because I've used that move against you before. Give up?" Danielle retorted, a playful smirk tugging at her mouth. Danny shook his head with a similar smirk. Danielle shrugged and fired another ghost ray which was blocked by a ghost shield. The team were gobsmacked. They hadn't known Danny could do that.

"This is way too familiar," Danny mumbled as he rolled to his feet. Danielle ran forward and fired a constant beam of ghost energy. Danny charged his own hands and copied her. The beams clashed and Danielle was overpowered. She pulled away before she could get hit though.

Danny ran up to her and they began to fight hand to hand. At first glance, it was clear that Danny was better especially since his lessons with Black Canary. But Danielle used her intangibility to her advantage which meant that very few of Danny's hits made contact. Black Canary watched the struggle with interest. Danny did seem to be in better control. His ghost rays were more contained and he was pushing himself just as hard as he did in his "no powers allowed" spars. It also gave Black Canary a chance to see Danielle's own skill. She had a more graceful but aggressive style to Danny but there were similarities.

Then Black Canary's eyes widened as she saw something. Danny flickered intangible for an instant to avoid a punch from Danielle that would have hit any other person. It may have been instinct. It may have been intentional. But either way, it was progress. There was no other way to say it. As the fight progressed, Danielle got used to her limitations and Danny grew even more confident and even turned intangible a handful of times to avoid a hit. Reluctantly, Black Canary called time.

Danielle was mid-punch but she relaxed and sighed breathlessly.

"Haven't had a fight like that since I was last in Amity Park." Danny snorted.

"Yeah, that was a lot more one sided though."

Danielle nodded. "He deserved it."

"Never said he didn't," Danny interjected as he absentmindedly rubbed one of the few places Danielle had gotten a hit in. Danielle frowned.

"Sorry about that. Not used to holding back, you know. Are you okay?" Danielle apologised. Danny shook his head.

"I'm fine Dani. Thanks for doing this. It really helped," Danny replied. Black Canary nodded in agreement.

"Danny, are you aware that you turned intangible during that fight?" Black Canary asked. She had to know if it was instinct or not. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, I know I did. First couple of times were instinctive. But after that, I relaxed into the fight. Not sure if I'm over it, but it's easier," Danny admitted. Black Canary smiled.

"Are you up for trying?" she inquired. Danny sighed.

"Alright," he relented after a moment of thought. He knew that he should try now that he'd conquered his fear this much. He took a second to gather his thoughts and then took the plunge and turned himself intangible.

For a split second, he recalled how he crushed his foot but then he realised that he wasn't afraid of that happening now. That had only happened because he was hit by that gun from the Guys in White. It was no different to what happened when he got hit by the Fenton Crammer or that stupid machine he got hit with alongside Amorpho. Or the Ghost Catcher. Or Fenton Weasel. Ghost weapons were always screwing him over. If he let every little bad experience with tech like that get to him, he'd never be able to go into his own house.

Turning himself back to tangible, he smiled and nodded to Black Canary. He was over it. Maybe it was the talk yesterday, maybe it was his unusual good mood, or maybe it was the spar with Danielle. Whatever did it, it felt great to not be afraid of his power anymore. Not that he still wasn't nervous of turning into Phantom, and would need a reassuring flight before he was comfortable flying again, but it felt gratifying to get over this fear at least. Black Canary's reassuring smile shifted into a congratulatory grin which was accompanied by the teams encouraging cheers and comments as they joined the halfas before having their own training session with Black Canary.

**Yeah Danny's progressing quite a bit after having that conversation and having Danielle join him at the cave. **

**But he still has his issues too.**

**But what about Lex Luthor being at the Guys in White building during Danielle's rescue?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	36. Chapter 36

That evening Batman came to debrief the team and Danny, Danielle and Garfield from their impromptu mission. He still wasn't happy, but he shouted at the team the previous day. He'd forgone any proper punishment as he heard how Danny had reacted. Black Canary gave him a brief explanation of what Danny had told her after she left him. Since Batman already knew everything, he wanted to know only to see how the boy was doing. It was a good sign that he'd finally started to talk to Black Canary.

Batman scanned the group of children in front of him, lingering for a second longer on Danny. For the first time, Danny didn't seem to shrink away from Batman's gaze. Batman knew he was an imposing character. He'd made sure of it in order to scare criminals. It always made him feel a little guilty though when Danny flinched away from him. So it was gratifying and telling that Danny wasn't shying away now. He was growing more confident and more used to Batman's presence.

"Well, now that you're all present, I'd like to go over everything we learnt during that _unsanctioned _mission," Batman began with a slight growl. Once again, Danny didn't flinch. Batman wondered to himself if the boy would be afraid of any angry motion he made now.

"This is Lex Luthor," Batman continued and an image of the bald businessman appeared on the holographic screen above.

"He runs LexCorp and is a member of the Light," Batman explained for the three non-team members.

"Hate him already," Danielle grumbled. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Ignore her. Bad experience with a millionaire," Danny interjected. The others blinked, not missing the glare Danielle shot at Danny and his sideways smirk at her.

"Well, he was at the complex you were in the other day," Batman resumed. He knew how Danny disliked the name Guys in White and the dark knight really couldn't blame the kid.

"So, this Light? Bad news?" Danny asked with a frown.

"Very," Conner answered with a hateful glare at the image of Luthor.

"So, him being at the Guys in White is not good," Danny concluded. Batman hid his surprise and repressed a proud smile. It seemed that Danny had started on his road to recovery. Batman nodded to the teenager. Danny frowned at the image.

"How bad are we talking?" Danny inquired.

"The Light took down the Justice League last New Year using mind control chips. Luckily Red Tornado installed programming to short circuit himself if he ever tried to put one on someone," Robin informed the halfa. Danny grimaced.

"Mind control," he muttered distastefully.

"You sound like you've experienced that," Wally pointed out, with a suspicious raised eyebrow.

"Let's just say "unleash your dark side at Circus Gothica" wasn't just an advertising slogan," Danny replied. Batman frowned at that and mentally noted to research Circus Gothica when he returned to the Bat Cave.

"Moving on. We don't know why Luthor was with the Guys in White the other day. But it is safe to say he saw what you did Danny. The Light might be interested in recruiting you," Batman warned, watching Danny carefully for any sign of discomfort at the name of his captors. But he didn't react beyond frowning at the image above again.

"How far would the Light go to get me on their side?" Danny asked. Batman understood what the halfa was asking.

"I see that you understand what this could mean. And yes, they'd use any weakness to get to you. Including your family," Batman confirmed. Danny folded his arms and turned to Batman.

"We have placed a rota of Justice League members to watch your family and friends," Batman informed the teen.

"Do they know?" Danny inquired. Batman blinked. Danny smirked.

"Years of ghost fighting makes someone really perceptive. They could see that they're being followed and they might react badly. Especially after what happened to me. I'd warn my family and friends and maybe send a picture of who's watching them in case. My friends may be young, but they do carry ghost weapons most of the time. And while they're meant to only hurt ghosts, they can pack a punch," Danny explained.

"Wait, are you saying that the League might get attacked by following your family and friends around?" Zatanna interjected. Danny shrugged.

"Trust me, my dad has done worse by accident. And my friends, they're good at ghost fighting. And Tucker is a mean hacker. I know that it's illegal, but he's gotten me out of a lot of tight spots. I'm just saying, ghost fighting can make a person paranoid. Seeing that they're being followed could make them do something that they would regret. That and Sam hates being controlled," Danny replied.

"Also, do the people you're sending have any experience fighting ghosts? Because Amity Park is always crawling with ghosts. Especially since I'm not there to keep things under control. There's only so much the local ghost hunters can do. They will probably encounter ghosts and most aren't friendly. Box Ghost is a nuisance and you can more-or-less ignore. But other ghosts like Lunch Lady or Ember, for a newbie… they're bad news," Danny added after a moment of thought. Batman blinked at Danny again, he'd become so much more confident since speaking to Black Canary. It seemed that a talk had helped Danny immensely. Batman nodded.

"I'll keep it in mind. We could organise the Leaguers going to watch your family and friends to get a crash course in ghost hunting," Batman suggested. Danny snorted.

"As long as you don't mind the whole crashing thing. Dad's a maniac on the road," Danny remarked. Batman didn't quite know what to say in regards to that comment but nodded to the teen.

"So, any idea why they'd want Danny?" Danielle asked, nodding to the image of Luthor. Batman glanced at the picture and shook his head.

"The Light are always trying to find new weapons and new schemes to, in their words, further human kind. They may wish to simply understand ghosts better or they may want Danny as a weapon. Unfortunately, Danielle, you'd be an easy replacement in their eyes. But the Guys in White are unaware of your halfa status as of now. But they may suspect it. Are there are other halfas?" Batman continued his debriefing. Danny and Danielle shared a look.

"There is one other," Danielle began.

"But I'm kind of sworn to keep quiet," Danny added.

The team frowned.

"If it's for their protection-" Kaldur started.

"No, you don't get it Kaldur. Sorry, but this isn't a case of I'm protecting them. I'm actually protecting my family. Me and the third halfa, well technically the first halfa, don't get along," Danny interrupted.

"That's an understatement," Danielle scoffed. Danny glanced at his clone.

"We have a deal. He keeps my secret and stays away from my family… most of the time, as long as I keep his. It's not that I don't trust you guys, I just don't trust the other halfa to keep quiet if it gets out that I told others about him," Danny explained.

"So, he's blackmailing you and you're blackmailing him," Raquel realised. Danny shrugged.

"Not pretty but yeah," Danny confirmed.

"So, you want to leave him to fend for himself," Conner pointed out. Danny frowned to himself.

"Look, you don't know this halfa like we do. He's no pushover. I have trouble stopping him. But… I guess I should talk to him. But I'd have to leave the cave," Danny decided reluctantly.

"I don't like sending you alone," Batman retorted. Danny nodded.

"Believe me, I'd rather not go see this guy but you do have a point besides I should probably show my face. Apparently he's been informed that I got caught. Not that he was willing to help, but he has this weird obsession with me so…" Danny replied and trailed off with a lift of his shoulders.

"What does that mean?" Garfield interjected confused. Danny sighed.

"If you need to find a ghost, it's easiest to ask a ghost for help. So when I got caught, my friends went to only other person they could think of and could get in contact with. The other halfa. But he wouldn't actually help because it put him in danger of discovery," Danny explained.

"Selfish fruit loop," Danielle hissed. Danny shrugged.

"Didn't really expect anything different," Danny admitted. The team were starting to see what the halfas meant about this mysterious third halfa.

"Either way… we should warn him. So, where do you need to get to?" Batman decided.

"Well, he has two usual haunts. Most likely he's in Amity Park though," Danny answered.

**So Danny's off to Amity Park to visit the only other halfa. In case of any confusion, yes, I mean Vlad. **

**But will this visit go according to plan?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	37. Chapter 37

The next day, Danny and Black Canary went to Amity Park while the team were at school and Garfield and Danielle stayed at the cave. The heroine was surprised that Danielle didn't want to come with Danny but the teen explained that Danielle and the other halfa had an even worse and more complicated relationship than he did with the halfa. Black Canary didn't really understand that, but Danny decided to use this opportunity to see how bad Amity Park was since he'd been gone. He also decided to visit his family and friends and volunteered to explain why they'd be watched.

So Black Canary dropped Danny off at Fenton Works and told him that she'd be back in a couple of hours to check on him. That suited Danny fine. But he was nervous about meeting his parents for the first time since they'd found out about his other half. He suspected that they'd want proof of his ghost half. He just hoped that a ghost ray and turning intangible or invisible would be enough. He still couldn't change into his ghost form which concerned him about visiting Amity Park being so handicapped. But it couldn't be helped.

Danny swallowed down his nerves and knocked on the door. He waited nervously and a few minutes later his mother answered the door. For a split second, they just stared at each other. But then Maddie grabbed her son and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, crying about missing him and being so worried. Danny was stunned by the reaction. True he'd been gone for almost three months. But he hadn't expected such a tearful welcome. He awkwardly patted her back and tried to get her to let go of him and step indoors since he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

Eventually, Maddie released her son and cupped his cheek and smiled at him, nothing but warmth and tenderness in her eyes.

"I'm so relieved to see that you're safe," she whispered. Danny smiled nervously.

"So, you really don't care about… you know my other half," Danny muttered. Maddie blinked and shook her head.

"Of course not. You're my son. I'll love you no matter what sweetie. Come on, come see your father," Maddie assured him with certainty. Danny smiled, relieved, and allowed his mother to guide him inside into the kitchen.

"Sweet cheeks! Who was at the door?!" Jack called from the lab.

"Danny's home," Maddie replied, a broad grin making its way to her face. Danny shifted awkwardly, unnoticed by his mother. He wasn't staying. This was just a visit. But how could he explain that now that he saw how much his parents had missed him and accepted him?

Jack thundered up the stairs and pulled Danny into a second bone-crushing hug. Once again, Danny patted his parent awkwardly. He felt strangely tearful himself at this reunion. He hadn't realised how worried he'd been that the words his parents had written hadn't been truthful and that they didn't accept him after all. Jack released his son and looked at Danny, who discretely dried his eyes.

"Son, I'm so glad to see that you're safe," Jack muttered, his usual joyful expression returning to his worried face. Danny laughed and nodded.

"Thanks. I'm glad to see you guys are alright too. It's actually one of the reasons for my visit," Danny replied. There he'd said it. He had to get it out before his parents got too stuck on the idea of him being back.

"Visit?" Maddie repeated confused. Danny nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry. But I can't stay. Batman didn't even want me to come but I have to take care of some business in person and I wanted to come see you," Danny replied. He hadn't felt exactly ready to see his parents but it didn't feel right coming to Amity Park and not coming to check on them. But now he was here, he was glad.

"Why not?!" Jack boomed. Danny was surprised that he wasn't frightened by the sudden raised voice. But then again, this was his dad. He wasn't afraid of his dad, not since he knew they didn't hate his guts now.

"Because, I'm not off the Guys in White radar yet. Actually I might be on another organisation's radar. I came here to warn you guys that the Justice League is going to be keeping an eye on you guys. They're supposed to check in with you guys first though and get a lesson in ghost hunting, just enough to defend themselves," Danny explained.

"Another organisation's radar? What one?!" Maddie exclaimed. Danny sighed.

"Not widely known mom. They're called the Light. But they're really bad news," Danny answered.

"How did they find out about you?" Maddie pressed, her joy melting back into worry.

"I may have drawn attention to myself. Another half-ghost got in trouble with the Guys in White and I went to help. One of the Light was there at the time and Batman thinks that they would have seen what I did. I used a pretty powerful move. So Batman's worried that the Light will want me on their side," Danny explained, choosing his words with utmost care to avoid worrying his parents more than necessary. There were a lot of secrets and classified things he was dancing around here. One wrong word, and he could let slip something that his parents weren't meant to know.

"Why did you get involved? I don't want you near those monsters ever again!" Maddie implored. Danny blinked in surprise.

"So you know what they did?" Danny questioned.

"Batman told us that those monsters tortured you. He said we didn't want to know the details," Jack answered. Danny nodded, grateful that the dark knight hadn't told his parents everything, he didn't want them knowing the details.

"I had to get involved mom. The halfa that was in trouble isn't as experienced as me. Besides, the Guys in White only tracked her down because of things they learned from me," Danny told them. Both parents instantly understood what Danny meant by "learned from me" and were outraged.

"I want those monsters arrested. Hanged! How dare they hurt my baby," Maddie hissed. Danny supressed a smile. His mother wasn't acting. She was genuinely upset about what had happened to him. Danny put a hand on her arm.

"Thanks mom," he replied. She blinked in surprise before pulling him into a second hug, a much gentler and less desperate hug this time.

"Oh, I'm just so happy to see you. After I found out you'd been found… and then we heard how weak and hurt you were," Maddie murmured in his ear and gave a soft sob.

"Hey, it's alright mom. I'm okay now alright. And I'm getting trained to fight better so it should never happen again," Danny assured her. Maddie nodded and withdrew. She wiped away the fresh tears and gave him a watery smile.

**Aw. A tearful reunion with his parents. **

**Will he meet Jazz and his friends before he has to leave though?**

**How will his visit to Vlad go?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	38. Chapter 38

Jazz drove Sam and Tucker to Fenton Works. Both teens had taken to heading straight to the house after school to check in with the Fentons. Both parents were finding it hard not hearing from Danny.

"I wish he'd just write. Just to say how he's doing," Sam muttered.

"I know Sam but Danny mightn't want to write to us in case we ask about what happened. We just have to be patient," Jazz retorted.

"Jazz, it's been five weeks! How much longer does he need? We're his friends. We just want to know he's fine," Tucker interjected. Jazz bit her lip as she pulled into her drive. Admittedly her argument was losing its effectiveness after so long. She wanted to hear from her brother too, but she wanted to respect his wishes as much as possible. Tortured for almost seven weeks. It would take time to get over that.

With a sigh, Jazz didn't reply. They'd had this discussion turned argument numerous times in the past. All that happened was they all got angry at each other and stopped talking for a few hours. They couldn't afford to keep it up any longer than that since ghost attacks were frequent. And without Danny to take point, ghost fighting was more dangerous than ever. Every ghost required the full Team Phantom, except their leader. They couldn't afford to take chances.

Jazz opened the door for the other two teens and they filed inside. She guessed that her parents were in the lab like usual. At least now they weren't desperately looking for Danny, they'd gone back to inventing ghost weapons Amity Park was in dire need of. They'd considered setting up the Ghostkateers again despite the fact that that group had never been taken seriously. Team Phantom didn't have the heart to tell the parents that the only reason those people joined was because the ghosts overshadowing those people wanted to keep the Fentons close in order to trap Danny.

Something reached their ears and Jazz froze. Her parents weren't in the lab. They were in the kitchen talking to someone. About ghosts! Jazz barged into the kitchen, terrified that her parents had been duped into revealing things they shouldn't by undercover Guys in White or other similarly horrible people. But there weren't any white suited government agents or weird looking people displaying unusual interest in ghosts. It was Danny! Her little brother was home!

Danny looked up and smirked at her.

"You can close your mouth Jazz. It's not that unexpected is it?" Danny greeted her as he got up. Jazz blinked and realised her jaw had dropped mid-word. She'd been about to spout some excuse for being in the kitchen so she could eavesdrop and then interject before the situation grew serious.

"Danny," Jazz whispered. She walked forward in a daze and pulled him into a disbelieving hug. He looked so normal. No scars. No haunted look in his eye. He was joking and smiling. It was like her little brother had never been taken.

She was crying before she knew it. Danny rubbed her back and made soothing sounds. She couldn't help but be reminded of how she'd done the same things when he was little and upset. She'd never thought that Danny would use the same techniques to calm her down after he'd been missing from her life for almost three months. She heard movement behind her but she didn't bother to look. She had her brother back.

"Oh hey Sam, Tuck. Be there in a sec," Danny greeted them. Jazz laughed at his casual greeting.

"Be there in a sec? Geez, why did we look for him?" Tucker joked with mock insult. Sam folded her arms and smirked.

"Not sure. Not even a letter," she replied.

Jazz broke her hug with Danny and dried her eyes and Sam and Tucker had similar reunions with Danny. Not a letter. No. This was way better. Jazz sank into a seat and her mother passed her a mug of tea from a teapot already on the table. Jazz smiled and sipped the scalding beverage.

"How long have you been here? Could have texted?" Tucker complained. Danny rubbed his neck.

"Haven't gotten a new phone yet. Kind of misplaced my phone during my stay with the Guys in White," Danny muttered. Everyone flinched in realisation. It was a nasty awakening to the fact that Danny hadn't been away for fun.

"Sorry dude," Tucker began. Danny held up a hand.

"Nah, it's fine. I've only been here for like half an hour. So I've got a more than an hour before Black Canary comes to pick me up," Danny interjected.

"Pick you up?" Sam repeated. Danny nodded.

"This is only a visit guys. Sorry, but this has to stay between us," Danny confirmed. The teens deflated at the news.

"But I thought…" Tucker began. Danny put a hand on Tucker's shoulder.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But if it were up to Batman, I wouldn't have come at all. He's worried about me getting caught," Danny reassured his best friend.

"This isn't a social call is it?" Sam realised. Danny chewed his lip for a second.

"It's many things. I had to come for a little business and while I was here, I decided to visit you guys too and save Batman a trip. I'll explain, don't worry," Danny admitted.

Sam and Tucker grabbed a seat and Danny dropped into his own. He frowned in thought as he figured out the best way to put what he had to tell them.

"Okay, well… I'm not exactly allowed to tell you guys everything but I'll try to answer any questions. The other day, a halfa got into a bit of trouble with the Guys in White. The people that saved me got wind of it and in trying to warn me, kind of tipped me off on what was happening. It was a case of mistaken identity. Anyway, I went with the team to save her and things got crazy," Danny began, knowing that his friends could guess that it was Danielle in trouble. He'd already explained vaguely that he wasn't the only half-ghost in existence to his parents.

"She got caught and when we tried to rescue her, we got pinned down. I had to use my ghostly wail to get us all out of there," Danny resumed. Team Phantom nodded in understanding, knowing the devastation that power wrought.

"We all got away but then we learned that a member of a group called the Light was at the complex at the same time we were. The Light are bad news. Really bad news. Batman thinks that the Light might be interested in me," Danny continued.

"Wait, because you used your wail?" Jazz interjected. Danny sighed and nodded.

"Apparently the Light are interested in powerful beings. So they might want to recruit me. That's where you guys come in," Danny told them.

"They might use us as blackmail," Sam gasped. Danny nodded.

"Exactly. So Batman is putting you guys under watch. Justice League members will be keeping an eye on you guys. Batman wanted to keep that quiet but I said it was better you knew. Also, mom and dad have been confirming my fears about Amity Park. Ghosts are out of control. Which means these Justice League people will need to know how to protect themselves. So I suggested that they stop here, get a lesson and introduce themselves. That way, if you spot them following you, you won't freak out and try to ditch them," Danny explained, giving Sam a pointed look. The Goth scowled at him. He smirked in return.

"But if you guys know who's meant to be following you, you'll know who isn't. So keep an eye out. You know yourselves if someone's acting weird," Danny concluded.

"Why can't you just come home?" Tucker asked forlornly. Danny smiled sadly at the techno-geek.

"Sorry Tuck. Still under protection. Guys in White were trying to catch me not the other halfa. Besides, I'm not ready to get back into the ghost fighting game," Danny admitted. Jazz frowned and turned to her brother.

"Is something wrong?" she inquired. Danny smiled knowingly at her.

"I've lost a lot of confidence in my powers. I'm getting better. But I'm not really confident enough to get into a real ghost fight just yet," Danny answered.

"Dude, you didn't always have your ghost ray and stuff. You can still do the basics right?" Tucker reminded him. Danny gave him a sad shake of his head.

"No Tuck. I can't. I find changing hard right now. Flash backs," Danny revealed. The room was silent in stunned sadness.

"Oh Danny," Jazz breathed. Danny shook his head.

"I'm getting better. Promise. One power at a time, yeah. But I'm getting better. And I'm still confident in my ice and getting my confidence back in my ghost ray. I can hold my own, but like I said, not ready to get back in the game properly yet," Danny reassured them. Sam and Tucker nodded in understanding.

Sam frowned as she recalled something Danny said.

"You said you had some business to take care of," Sam reminded him. Danny nodded.

"I might not be the only halfa in danger from the Light," Danny replied cryptically, but he knew that Sam, Tucker and Jazz would understand.

"What!? You're warning _him_! He didn't lift a _finger_ to help you Danny. We asked, no _begged_, but he refused to get involved," Jazz exclaimed, ignoring the confused looks from her parents. Danny nodded.

"Which makes me better than him. I've already made up my mind. Besides, I'd like to confront him on that," Danny retorted.

"But your powers," Tucker pointed out.

"He doesn't know about that," Danny answered with a smirk. The three teens nodded, conceding the point but they weren't happy.

**Finally Danny gets in contact with his loved ones and they have a better idea of how he's coping with things. **

**Any guesses how Danny's visit to Vlad's will go?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	39. Chapter 39

Sam and Tucker insisted on walking with Danny to the town hall, even though he was invisible the entire time. They spoke about how Casper High was this year. Sam and Tucker didn't dare ask about Danny's time with the Guys in White and they knew not to ask about where he'd been staying. Both teens were pleasantly surprised by how normal Danny was acting. They'd been worried that he'd be mentally scarred by his capture and subsequent torture, but he wasn't too different. A little quieter than normal but that was to be expected since he was invisible and that he didn't have any news that he could talk about. They asked about Danielle though, interested in what she'd been up to and a veiled curiosity in why she never came to help look for him.

It didn't take long for them to reach the town hall. They ducked into an alleyway nearby and Danny appeared beside Sam.

"Alright, guys I want to go in alone," Danny decided.

"But Danny what if he tries something. Without… you know Phantom, you don't stand a chance. No offence," Tucker protested. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really think that I've been sitting on my butt the whole time I've been recovering? I've been getting hand to hand combat training. And I told you, I'm confident with my ice and ghost ray. Besides, this is a friendly visit. Shouldn't resort to a fight," Danny retorted.

"Woah, really?" Sam gasped, impressed that Danny was getting training. Danny nodded.

"Black Canary is a good teacher. So relax guys. I'll be fine," Danny reassured them with a quick smile before turning invisible again.

Danny walked nervously to the large building and turned himself intangible while invisible to phase inside. It felt good to be comfortable using that power again. He then crept down the hallway and found the mayor's office. Danny bit his lip. He wanted to play this carefully. He didn't want to get into a fight with Vlad. Because as much as Danny hated to admit it, Tucker was right. Danny didn't stand a chance in a fight against Vlad without the power of Phantom. Danny raised a hand and shook his head. This was too weird. Being so civil towards Vlad without an ulterior motive other than to warn Vlad. Pushing down his unease at the unfamiliarity, Danny knocked on the door while invisible.

"Enter," Vlad answered. Danny could sense the suspicion in that single word. Danny phased inside and turned himself visible. Vlad glanced up from the report he'd obviously grabbed to look busy and dropped the pen in his hand.

"Daniel," he gasped.

"Hey Vlad, got a minute?" Danny greeted, trying to sound as casual and friendly as possible. The animosity between the halfas could trigger a fight without much provocation. Vlad instantly stood up and nodded.

"Of course. How did you escape?" Vlad asked, clearly shocked at Danny's sudden appearance.

"I didn't. I got rescued. No thanks to you, I hear," Danny answered with a light glare. Normally he'd love to give Vlad his burning green scary eyes but he had to keep things calm and friendly.

"You have to understand Daniel that-" Vlad began. Danny held up a hand.

"I'm not here for your excuses for leaving me with the Guys in White Vlad. I'm here to warn you," Danny interrupted.

"Warn me?" Vlad repeated with an edge to his voice. Clearly thinking that Danny was going to threaten him. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Relax V-man. I'm not looking for a fight. A few days ago, the Guys in White caught Danielle. Thought she was me. Me and a few friends, I'm not telling you who, went in and saved her. But during the rescue, it came to our attention that a member of a group called the Light was present. I had to use my ghostly wail. You remember that power right?" Danny explained with a smirk. Vlad frowned as he recalled Colorado himself.

"Anyway, the people I'm with say this Light, they're really bad. The Pariah Dark of the criminals apparently. The fear is that I've attracted their attention," Danny resumed.

"So you wish for me to protect your mother?" Vlad interjected hopefully.

"No Vlad. I don't want you near my family. Knowing you, you'd use my dad as a human shield for something you started," Danny growled. Vlad chuckled.

"True. So why are you telling me this? You know I don't care about that mistake. I assume you've protected your and her secrets," Vlad replied. Danny glared at Vlad.

"I saved Dani before they learned about her. But I couldn't stop them learning about me," Danny snarled, furious that Vlad called Danielle a mistake and assumed so much.

"So the Guys in White know you're a halfa. I fail to see where I come in little badger. _I_ always cover my tracks," Vlad retorted smugly. Danny scowled.

"I'm just giving you a heads up alright. The Light are resourceful. So, watch your back. That's all I wanted to say," Danny concluded and turned to leave.

"Daniel, I was honestly upset and angry to hear that the Guys in White captured you. If I didn't have my own secret to protect, I would have used every resource possible to find and free you," Vlad interjected before Danny could leave. Danny glanced at the older halfa.

"Words mean very little to me Vlad. You left me to their mercy. It was hell! You want to make up for it? Get them shut down without revealing what I am to the world," Danny growled, turning away so that Vlad wouldn't see the angry and helpless tears welling in his eyes. It hurt that he was powerless to get the organisation shut down after everything they did to him.

"I'll try little badger. And I'll keep an eye on your family for you until you return," Vlad offered.

Danny took a deep steadying breath.

"You don't need to do that. I've organised protection for my family. But thanks Vlad," Danny muttered, knowing that Vlad was being genuine in his offer. He wasn't surprised that Vlad had figured out that the teen wasn't staying in Amity Park. With one last sigh, Danny turned invisible and phased out of the building.

**A surprisingly calm and friendly visit after all.**

**Will Vlad find a way to shut down the Guys in White?**

**Until the next chapter. **


	40. Chapter 40

Black Canary knocked on the door of Fenton Works at the agreed two hours later. Maddie answered the door and her face instantly fell. Black Canary smiled apologetically. It was clear that the mother didn't want her son to leave so soon. But the jumpsuit clad woman allowed the heroine inside. It was quiet in the house until the door shut.

"Who was at the door mom!?" Danny's sister called.

"Black Canary," Maddie answered, sadness tinging her voice. The Fentons had met Black Canary as well as Batman. Both heroes had tried to keep the family up to date on Danny's progress and collected letters from them to deliver to Danny.

The tension in the air evaporated but was replaced with sadness. Black Canary stepped in the kitchen and gave the group at the table an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, but Danny can't stay," Black Canary reasoned.

"I already explained Black Canary," Danny informed her.

"Can't you stay longer? You could go back tomorrow morning," Sam suggested. Danny shook his head.

"No, I'm really sorry guys but that's not a good idea. I'm pushing my luck already. If a ghost attacks, I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold my own as well as protect my secret," Danny refused. The group hung their heads in disappointment. Black Canary could sense that another reason would be the worry of having a nightmare. His family knew Danny best. They'd be able to see when something was up and she knew that Danny didn't want to worry them unnecessarily.

Danny got to his feet and Jazz jumped to her feet and pulled Danny into a tight hug.

"Please Danny," Jazz begged.

"Jazz, I can't stay. But I'll write okay?" Danny compromised. Jazz shook her head.

"I'm sorry about telling your secret," she blurted out miserably. Danny froze and gave his older sister a sad look.

"Jazz, I'm not angry at you. That's not why I can't stay. You did the right thing," Danny assured his sister realising that she was afraid he refused to stay because his secret had been told without consent. Jazz shook her head.

"You trusted me," Jazz began guiltily.

"Hey! Jazz, you did the right thing. If you hadn't told them, then things would have been so much worse. I trust your judgement. Alright," Danny reassured her. Jazz looked up at her brother.

"I'm okay with it. I'm glad they know. I'll admit I was a little worried about how they'd react, but it's okay," Danny whispered, so his parents wouldn't hear.

"You're sure?" Jazz muttered. Danny laughed.

"Jazz, you know me. I can never get away with lying to you," Danny joked. Jazz smirked as she took a step back and collected herself.

"Alright then. But if you're lying to me-" Jazz began in a warning tone.

"I'll make sure to hide all the thermoses," Danny finished with a smirk. Jazz glared at him and swatted his shoulder playfully.

"I was learning. And that was ages ago!" Jazz retorted.

Danny retreated to give a proper farewell to his friends and parents. Jazz ventured over to Black Canary.

"Thanks for helping him. And teaching him," Jazz thanked the blonde heroine. Black Canary blinked in surprise before smiling at the teen.

"Your tips helped a lot. And he's getting a lot better. He finally started to open up to me the other day," Black Canary replied. Jazz blinked and smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it. He's doing a lot better than I expected," Jazz retorted and glanced at Danny as he gave his mother a hug and half-heartedly tried to dodge a kiss like he usually did.

"I'm sorry that this was such a short visit Jazz. But it is Batman's orders. We're doing everything we can to keep your brother safe and to bring justice to those that hurt him. I give you my word," Black Canary muttered. Jazz shook her head.

"I know you are. And I wish it was a longer visit but I understand. We just miss him. And Amity Park misses Phantom. But he needs time and we're going to cover for him until he's ready to come back," Jazz replied and gave Black Canary a sad but determined smile. Black Canary nodded.

Danny, having said his goodbyes, joined Black Canary and Jazz. He pulled Jazz into a goodbye hug and whispered a few assurances and thanks for the thermos and letters. He then left the house with Black Canary and Black Canary drove Danny to the nearest Zeta tube which was a few towns over. Batman had consented to letting Danny use one as a guest with Black Canary so that he'd get to and from Amity Park as quickly as possible.

"So how do you feel after seeing your family and visiting Amity Park?" Black Canary ventured. Danny glanced at her.

"I feel good. It was really nice to see Sam and Tucker and Jazz. I hadn't realised how worried about my parents I was until I saw that they really do accept me. I knew they loved me and were worried but you know there was always the worry about them knowing I was Phantom. But now I _know_ they're okay with it," Danny answered with a warm smile. Black Canary smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it. And your visit to this other halfa?" Black Canary inquired. Danny nodded.

"Surprisingly smooth too. I think he was more shocked to see me than anything else. My friends didn't bother to keep him in the loop. Seems that Skulker hasn't told anyone in the ghost community that I'm not being held by the Guys in White anymore. Not sure why. But I'm not complaining," Danny replied with a shrug.

Black Canary raised an eyebrow.

"Is it possible that Skulker just didn't tell the other halfa?" Black Canary asked. Danny shook his head.

"They've worked together lots in the past. And the other halfa would be interested in knowing if I was free or not. If Skulker told anyone about me, he'd tell V- I mean the other halfa," Danny explained, catching himself before saying Vlad's name. Black Canary noticed the near slip but didn't point it out.

Within an hour's drive they reached the closest Zeta tube. It was disguised as a run-down phone booth down a dark, dank alleyway that only the bravest travellers would venture down. Black Canary and Danny stepped in together despite the little room. The programme would only let Danny into the cave as long as Black Canary was with him. It was a way for the system to recognise him without Batman having to put Danny on file and leaving an electronic trail for a skilled hacker to find. Black Canary had been worried about how Danny would react to the teleportation device. It often left new users a little disorientated and uncomfortable. Being broken down into atoms and then moved to another location to be reformed… it wasn't always enjoyed.

But Danny… it felt natural to him. He'd been broken apart before and reformed afterwards during the whole fiasco with the Reality Gauntlet and Freakshow. But this felt far more normal than that had been. So, when the machine whirred into life and teleported them, he was completely at ease.

**So Danny's visit home is over.**

**I'm not sure if it was clear, but there isn't a Zeta Tube in Amity Park, at least for now there isn't. Danny and Black Canary had to travel from the Zeta Tube in another city to reach Amity Park.**

**Anyway, there's not much else to say, so…**

**Until the next chapter.**


	41. Chapter 41

"Recognised Black Canary 17," a computerised voice announced in the Mount Justice cave. Conner alerted the others who were all in the kitchen working on their homework while they waited to hear how Danny's visit home went. They abandoned their work and hurried to the entrance. Danny and Black Canary exited the machine as the teens entered the room.

"Danny!" Danielle called and zoomed past the others in her ghost form. Danny turned to her and caught her before she barrelled into him.

"Woah, Dani! What's the rush?" Danny chuckled and put her on the ground. She folded her arms and scowled at him.

"I was worried that you'd be hurt," Danielle retorted. The others frowned at her and glanced at Danny.

"We can have a civil conversation you know," Danny retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Really?" Danielle inquired sceptically.

"Yes! Honestly, you'd think we were children the way you're acting," Danny replied annoyed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Wally interjected. Danny turned to them and shook his head.

"It's nothing. Dani just expected me to get into a fight with the other halfa. That's all," Danny answered.

"I thought you were just going to warn him about the Light," Artemis pointed out. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, and I did. He didn't seem too worried about them though. But he did offer to keep an eye out," Danny replied.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! He offered to keep an eye out? That's basically saying he'd help you! You sure he wasn't overshadowed?" Danielle interjected in disbelief. Danny laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Danny answered.

"I didn't realise you guys didn't get along so much," Kaldur remarked. Danny shrugged.

"We've worked together before. But he does tend to throw me under the bus when he can," Danny replied.

"What do you mean?" Robin inquired.

"Well, once the other halfa invited a powerful weather ghost to Amity Park. The reasons aren't important but he lost control of the ghost and it went on a rampage. The other halfa came to me, asked for my help and then ditched me when Vortex saw me. Yeah, that was not a pleasant fight," Danny recalled with a slight grimace.

"Why? What happened?" Raquel asked.

"I got beaten up and hit by lightning. Repeatedly. Accidently absorbed weather controlling powers and had to spend the day with the other halfa. Well, actually that bit was kind of fun. Being around him too long makes me angry so he had to keep me calm or I'd cause a storm. Meanwhile Sam and Tucker chased down Vortex and got him back to Amity Park," Danny explained. The teens grimaced in sympathy when they heard about Danny getting hit by lightning.

"But you worked together after that, right?" Zatanna prompted. Danny shook his head and gave a bitter chuckle.

"Not even close. The other halfa threw me outside to face Vortex before you could count to three. He hid and got away with it. Me and Vortex got blamed for the damages," Danny concluded his story.

"That's so mean," Garfield exclaimed. Danny shrugged.

"That's V- I mean that's the other halfa for you. Uses everyone," Danny remarked, almost letting slip Vlad's name again. Danielle nodded in agreement. She'd never heard the story before but it did sound like classic Vlad.

"I suppose Sam and Tucker helped keep him in line though," Danielle commented, directing the conversation back to where it started. Danny rubbed his neck.

"Yeah, I kind of told them to let me go it alone. It was just me and him in the room," Danny confessed. Danielle stared at Danny.

"Do you have a death wish? What if he attacked you?!" Danielle exclaimed. Danny rolled his eyes again.

"Dani, calm down. I know how to handle him. Alright. I know what buttons to press and which ones to avoid. It was fine," Danny assured her.

"It does sound like you took an unnecessary chance," Kaldur pointed out. Danny shook his head.

"Trust me. I didn't. I kept things as friendly as it gets between us. Besides he was more shocked than angry to see me. There was a second where he could have attacked but I stopped it before it got physical," Danny replied.

"I guess you do know him best. But I don't know if I trust the whole idea of him helping," Danielle relented. Danny shook his head.

"Neither do I. Which is why I never mentioned the Justice League or any of you. He only knows that the Guys in White caught Danielle and the Light saw me use my ghostly wail to save you," Danny replied.

"You told him about me? What did he say?" Danielle inquired, almost hopefully.

"Sorry Dani, he was his usual self about it," Danny answered with an apologetic frown. Danielle looked down sadly. She may not trust or even like Vlad but he was still her creator and so her father. To hear that he hadn't cared that the Guys in White caught her, it was upsetting.

Danny put an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. He hated how calloused Vlad was towards Danielle too. He'd seen how much it hurt Danielle to see that her father was using her as a pawn and never truly cared about her beyond as a test run for making a better clone. The others were confused by the response though and gave Danny questioning looks. He merely shook his head. He wasn't going to explain.

"What about your family Danny? And your friends?" M'gann asked, deciding to change the subject. Danny smirked.

"Surprised but happy to see me. They weren't happy at how short the visit was but it was really nice to see them," Danny answered, dispelling any lingering sadness. The team smiled at that news. Black Canary clapped her hands.

"Alright, how about a training session since we're all here?" Black Canary suggested. They all groaned but gathered around for the lesson.

**So the team are getting to learn a little more about Vlad and Danielle. **

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far. **

**If you have any theories on what could happen, please share them. I love hearing your thoughts.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	42. Chapter 42

True to his word Danny wrote letters to his friends and family. He didn't volunteer any information about his time with the Guys in White, but he gave the others at the cave codenames so that he could tell his family something. In return, they kept him informed about how things were in Amity Park, having refrained beforehand in case Danny didn't want to know. He continued to train with Black Canary and the team to improve his hand to hand combat and a few days later Danielle asked to join in. Garfield even joined in, feeling left out, and learnt the basics while the others learned more advanced techniques and forms.

Every day, Garfield trained his powers and Danny and Danielle had friendly spars. They got more and more intense every time and became true spectacles despite both holding back and being in their human forms but Danny was growing ever more confident in his powers. He no longer feared being intangible at all and even returned to using his old tactics such as sinking into the ground to sneak attack, impressing Black Canary and the team. He also had full control and confidence in his ghost ray again.

The only thing holding him back from trying a true spar was the fact that he still couldn't change into Phantom. Every time he tried, he thought about the experiments. It angered him so much that he couldn't bring himself to do something so simple.

He moved out of the medical facility a week after Danielle moved into the cave, now also under the Justice League's protection. It was a big step. Leaving the security blanket that the medical facility had become and had been cause for celebration in the cave, much to Danny's embarrassment and annoyance. But it made Black Canary proud to see Danny's progress. He'd come a long way since the almost mute boy unable to stand by himself and couldn't bring himself to leave the medical facility.

Two weeks after Danny visited Amity Park, everyone was at the cave for a rare fun Friday evening watching a couple of movies. All the team had permission to stay the night. Wally and Artemis cuddled together on a few cushions. Danielle sat beside Danny and Garfield. Conner and M'gann were also huddled together. Robin, Kaldur, Zatanna and Raquel sat on the couch together as friends. Popcorn, fizzy drinks and chocolate was plentiful. It was a relaxed and enjoyable evening.

However mid-way into the first movie, Danny and Danielle's ghost senses went off. The only one to notice was Garfield. Danny shared a look with Danielle before he got up and left to get his thermos in his room.

"Shouldn't you go after him?" Garfield whispered. Danielle shook her head.

"He's just getting the thermos. Besides he can handle it," Danielle replied.

Danny exited his room, closing the door behind him. He then went for a quick patrol through the cave but found nothing. With a sigh, he returned to the kitchen and motioned to Danielle. She discretely went over to him at the door.

"I've had a quick look in the cave but I can't see any ghosts. They might be outside," Danny muttered. Danielle nodded.

"Do you want me to come with? Or warn the others?" Danielle asked. Danny shook his head.

"I don't want to ruin everyone's night. I really doubt it's anything to worry about. If I'm not back before the end of the movie though, feel free to panic," Danny replied with a smirk. Danielle nodded again.

"I'll give you twenty minutes before I come to give you back up," Danielle decided and then returned to her seat.

Danny smiled as he left the kitchen again and exited the cave. It was dark already. He charged his hand with his ghost energy and scowled at the gloom around him. It was a cloudy starless night.

"Whelp," a voice called behind him. Danny sighed and turned to the voice.

"You're ruining a nice evening Skulker," Danny grumbled.

"I thought you'd like a progress report Daniel," another voice drawled. Danny froze.

"Vlad?!" Danny exclaimed in shock. A pink energy appeared and illuminated a blue skinned ghost with pointed black hair and vampire fangs standing a few feet away from the robotic hunter. Vlad rolled his red pupil less eyes.

"Come now Daniel, is it really that surprising that I could track you down?" Vlad retorted.

"Honestly, I didn't think you'd want to find me. Least of all to give me a progress report?" Danny replied with a raised eyebrow. Vlad shrugged.

"If you're not interested, I suppose I could just leave," Vlad offered, letting his glowing energy fade.

"Vlad, just tell me what you came here to tell me," Danny demanded with annoyance, closing the distance so his charged ghost ray illuminated the three of them. Vlad crossed his arms.

"I've started to investigate the Guys in White. I'm afraid there's nothing incriminating on their records, other than their reports on you of course little badger. But I have found an intriguing partnership with LexCorp. I've done a little digging and Lex Luthor has a lot of skeletons in his closet," Vlad revealed. Danny blinked in surprise.

"Okay. Thanks for doing that but I don't understand… why are you telling me this?" Danny inquired.

"You asked me to get the Guys in White shut down. It's the least I could do," Vlad replied with a shrug. Danny raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"You did it because they found out about halfas didn't you?" Danny retorted. Vlad smirked.

"Well, it was a contributing factor," Vlad admitted. Danny shook his head in disbelief.

"You know, you really are a selfish person. Whatever. What did you find?" Danny muttered. Vlad frowned.

"Lex Luthor has many connections Daniel. Most are not savoury characters. I only know these groups because of my own dark activities. He is a very dangerous man Daniel. I would advise against going against him," Vlad warned.

Danny gave a serious nod.

"I'll keep that in mind. I wasn't planning on taking a fight to anyone," Danny replied. Vlad shook his head.

"You don't understand Daniel. If Luthor approaches you with an offer. Take it. He is not the kind of person you can say no to. I'd suspect, not that there was proof, that Luthor would have connections to this Light you told me about. If you deny Luthor whatever he wants, you _will_ regret it," Vlad elaborated. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to work for some criminal Vlad. And I won't go back to the Guys in White," Danny growled. Vlad sighed.

"I know. And I wouldn't ask you to. I doubt a report can truly describe what those… those creatures did to you. But… Daniel, you asked me to do some digging and this is what I found. I'm sorry I couldn't help more," Vlad replied.

Danny scowled.

"You had no right to go poking around the files about me Vlad," Danny grumbled, annoyed that his arch foe now knew what he'd been through. Vlad shrugged.

"The files pertaining to your imprisonment and subsequent participation in experimentation were not clearly labelled. Your actual name, either your birth name or your chosen ghost name, were only mentioned in a handful of documents. In truth, I couldn't be certain the file was about you until after I'd read a great deal into the reports," Vlad retorted. Danny frowned but didn't comment further, he could tell that Vlad was telling the truth.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't wish to share what I read. Least of all with your little friends or your mother," Vlad interjected. Danny gave Vlad a suspicious glance. The older halfa smirked.

"What do you get out of keeping quiet?" Danny asked carefully.

"You, in my debt. As well as doing as you asked of me," Vlad answered easily. Danny sighed. Of course there was a bigger reason behind Vlad's "kindness".

"Whatever. Is that all you wanted to tell me? Watch out for Lex Luthor and take whatever deal he offers me," Danny summarised. Vlad frowned.

"You could be a little more grateful Daniel. It took a great deal of finesse and care to get that information without putting myself at risk of discovery," Vlad scolded. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Thanks," Danny snarled. Vlad smirked before scowling again and looking past Danny. Danny turned to see a group of people running over to them.

**So Danny is getting a lot better. Leaving the medical facility, getting better confidence with his powers, writing to his loved ones.**

**But on another note… Vlad is outside Mount Justice! **

**What will the team do? What will Danielle do? What will Danny do?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	43. Chapter 43

Kaldur paused the movie and looked over to Danielle and Garfield. He and Robin had noticed that there was something up between the halfas and Danny had been gone way too long to be on a bathroom break.

"Sorry guys," Kaldur called to the collective groans and complaints.

"Danielle, where's Danny?" Kaldur resumed. Danielle looked over to the Atlantean.

"Our ghost sense went off. So Danny went to check it out," Danielle admitted and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I was going to check on him in five minutes," she added.

"Why didn't you guys tell us!?" Wally exclaimed. Danielle shrugged.

"Danny didn't want to ruin everyone's night. This kind of thing is normal for him," Danielle answered. They all knew that. Danny had grown a lot more confident recently and even volunteered stories from his ghost fighting in Amity Park.

"Well, the movie's paused. Maybe we should go check on him," Artemis pointed out. The teens nodded in agreement and turned to Danielle expectantly. She shrugged.

"Danny checked in the cave and didn't find anything so he was checking outside last I heard. Couldn't have gotten far on foot," Danielle informed them as she got to her feet. She changed into her ghost form as they walked out of the cave.

It took less than a minute to spot the glowing green light illuminating Danny and Skulker and a new ghost the team had never seen. He wore a white suit and had dark pointed hair and sharp fangs. The eerie green light made it difficult to make out all the details. They ran over to Danny, wondering why Danny was talking rather than fighting.

"Ah, these must be your friends right Daniel? Going to introduce us?" the new ghost remarked with a frown. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"No," Danny answered stiffly. The ghost smirked.

"Good to hear it," the ghost replied. The team shared confused looks.

"Everything okay Danny?" Zatanna ventured.

"Yeah, they were just leaving," Danny informed them, giving both ghosts a pointed look. The new ghost ignored Danny and spotted Danielle. He sniffed in dislike at her. She shrank away from the older ghost and cowered behind Danny, surprising the team and Garfield.

"You did what you came to do, Plasmius. Go," Danny pointed out with a scowl. Plasmius snarled at the dismissal.

"I wasn't finished Daniel. But if you're not going to be grateful, perhaps I can take my findings to your friends, hmm?" the ghost threatened. Danny's eyes flashed green.

"Do that, and I'll have to share some of my own _findings_," Danny warned. Plasmius' hand glowed bright pink.

"Is that a threat Daniel?" Plasmius hissed. Danny took a step forward and his own hand glowed brighter.

"No, it's a promise. You share what you know and I'll share what I know," Danny growled. Plasmius laughed mockingly.

"You don't fool me Daniel. Skulker informed me of his last visit. Admittedly, it took a little persuading," Plasmius retorted and gave the hunter an angered glare. Skulker took a small step away from the furious ghost.

"Try it. I'm not like that now," Danny challenged.

Suddenly Robin realised who this mystery ghost must be.

"You're the other halfa? Right?" Robin interjected. Plasmius turned to Robin and then gave Danny a murderous look.

"Sharing secrets I see," the vampiric ghost snarled. Danny tensed, ready for a fight. Danielle gave Robin a fearful look and the boy wonder understood with dread that he'd made a tense situation a lot worse.

"They know there's a third halfa. Not that halfa's identity," Danny explained with a pointed glare, promising that that fact could change.

Plasmius turned to the other teens.

"Run along. I have business with Daniel to discuss," Plasmius ordered condescendingly. The team scowled in annoyance and dislike.

"We would rather stay," Kaldur replied. Plasmius growled in dislike and turned to Danny.

"Daniel," Plasmius growled in a warning tone. Danny scoffed.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not the boss of them," Danny retorted. Plasmius snarled and before anyone could react, Plasmius fired his charged ghost ray at Garfield. A green shield erupted around the green furred boy, blocking the shot.

"I told you. I'm not the same as I was when Skulker was last here," Danny muttered with a dangerous gleam in his eye. The team released sighs of relief at seeing Garfield safe.

Plasmius scowled and dismissed his ghost energy.

"Very well," the older halfa murmured before charging forward and grabbing Danny by the wrist and rocketing up into the sky, Danny's charged ghost ray fired harmlessly into the sky and the shield around Garfield vanished. Danielle gasped in alarm and was about to fly up after Danny when a blast hit the ground beside her. She turned to Skulker.

"Perhaps we should leave them to talk," the hunter suggested with a smirk.

"What do you want?!" Danielle demanded, terrified for her cousin but knowing that Skulker was the threat she had to deal with for now.

"Many things. But right now, my employer isn't a good mood," Skulker admitted.

"Meaning?" Danielle prompted.

"Look, I didn't tell anyone that I found the whelp because I felt sorry for him. But Plasmius wasn't taking no for an answer and when he gets angry-" Skulker began but was interrupted by a scream of pain from above. They all looked up to see Plasmius electrocuting Danny with his pink ghost energy high up in the sky.

"_That_ is for sharing secrets!" Vlad hissed in Danny's ear as he stopped the electricity flow. Danny blinked and gulped down a few breaths of cool fresh air. The fresh air brought Danny out of a number of flash backs.

"I only said there was another halfa. They worked it out. But they don't know who you are Vlad. The only name they have is Plasmius," Danny assured the older halfa panting slightly from being electrocuted. Vlad growled, causing Danny to flinch. Until now, he'd been fine with the angry displays from Vlad. It was just their special relationship. But it had shifted from being an uneasy visit with empty threats and taunts to being an aggressive argument. The anger was reinforced with pain and that brought Danny's memories of the lab to the front of his mind.

"Now, I'm going to tell you what I came here to tell you despite you being an ungrateful arrogant brat!" Vlad snarled, oblivious to Danny's mounting fear in his rage.

"There are people creeping around Amity Park. Following _your_ loved ones. It's not my job to interfere but I did promise to keep an eye out. I'd warn them but they'll take it the wrong way," Vlad resumed angrily. Danny struggled against his terror.

"How… how many?" Danny managed. Vlad shrugged uncaringly.

"I've spotted two individuals but that doesn't mean there aren't more," Vlad answered. Danny nodded stiffly.

"Thanks for that Vlad," Danny muttered nervously, he didn't want to provoke another violent outburst. Vlad nodded in response before bringing Danny closer and stared into the halfa's eyes. Burning red met wide, fearful blue.

"Now listen here. If I hear that you've told anyone, and I mean _anyone_, about what I am, I'll go public with those reports I acquired from the Guys in White. Understand!" Vlad threatened. Danny nodded mutely, feeling his knees starting to shake.

"That includes your parents Daniel," Vlad added. Danny nodded.

"They… they don't know. Only know about three halfas. Don't know… identity of you or Danielle," Danny assured the enraged halfa, struggling to keep his composure. Vlad nodded approvingly.

"Keep it that way. Oh, and you'll thank me later," Vlad concluded. Danny blinked in confusion.

"For… for what?" Danny whispered with dread and fear building in his stomach.

"I noticed the lack of Phantom around," Vlad answered with an evil grin before dropping Danny.

**Gasp! Will Danny be okay!?**

**What about those people Vlad saw around Amity Park?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	44. Chapter 44

There was no time to shout in alarm. Danny suddenly felt gravity take him over. He looked down and instantly knew that his limited flight in human form wouldn't slow him down enough to prevent an injury at this height. He had to change. There was no other way. Gulping down his fear and numerous memories, Danny focused on his inner power. He reached out to Phantom. But the sudden wave of fear from having anger reinforced with pain stopped him. Danny glanced at the ground and saw that Danielle had been pinned down by Skulker and Raquel didn't have her belt. M'gann, being one of the few members of the team actually capable of helping Danielle, was distracted and may not be able to catch him in time.

Danny closed his eyes and pushed down his memories. He was outside. Not in a lab. He was free. Not bound to a table. It was Vlad. Not that sick scientist. With a deep determined breath, he reached for Phantom again. This time there was no blockage. With a flash of white light, Danny felt the reassuring wave of cold wash over him as he changed into his ghost form. The second he felt his ghost form, he tapped into his flight and came to an abrupt stop, hovering inches from the ground.

The team, or at least those not fighting Skulker off of Danielle, breathed a collective sigh of relief. Danny opened his eyes and sent a hateful glare up to Vlad before turning to Skulker and firing a ghost ray at the hunter. Skulker, caught completely unawares, was thrown off of Danielle. Danielle floated to her feet and glanced at Danny, giving him a quick smile of thanks. Vlad landed on the ground a few feet away.

"Cut that a little close but you're welcome Daniel," Vlad remarked. Danny spun around to face Vlad.

"You nearly killed me!" he shouted, enraged. Vlad shrugged.

"Don't be so dramatic. The worst that would have happened was a broken bone," Vlad retorted dismissively.

Danny landed on the ground and stalked up to Vlad.

"I didn't ask for your _help_. Now go!" Danny hissed, pointed to the sky furiously. Vlad tutted condescendingly and shook his head.

"Fine. But that's the last time I help you. Remember what we talked about," Vlad concluded and vanished in a puff of pink smoke. Danny glowered at the cloud for a second before turning to Skulker, his eyes burning bright fury-filled green.

Skulker struggled to his feet before looking around to see that his ally was gone. He then noticed Danny's angered glare.

"Uh oh," Skulker mumbled and began to retreat as Danny walked over to the hunter.

"Now whelp. I only told Plasmius about where you are, and I only told him because he wouldn't take no for an answer," Skulker hurried to explain. Danny's hands ignited with green energy.

"I don't want a fight," Skulker attempted.

"Well, maybe I do," Danny growled and fired his concentrated ghost ray at Skulker, tearing through the suit's arm.

The team blinked in shock and rushed forward to stop the fight but Danielle stopped them.

"No, let him. Danny won't take it too far and besides I think he needs a little pay back," Danielle muttered, she had been told of Skulker's first visit to the cave. The team reluctantly kept back as Danny fired ghost ray after ghost ray at the hunter until the metal suit was nothing but scrap. Danny then turned his hand intangible and pulled out a tiny green ghost with stubby arms and legs.

"Whelp! You'll pay for this!" the ghost squeaked.

"Tell every ghost you see that Danny Phantom is back and if they don't leave Amity Park alone they're going to have one ticked off halfa beating them up," Danny growled. Skulker blinked in shock before yelling in alarm as he was sucked into the Fenton Thermos Danny unclipped from his belt.

With a calming breath, Danny's burning eyes lessened in their intensity and he turned to the team.

"By the way, that was what Skulker really looks like," Danny informed them, his anger effectively dismissed. The others stared at Danny, lost for words. Danny clipped the thermos to his belt again and then glanced up to the sky. He searched for Vlad's retreating form but saw nothing, not that he really expected to. He didn't know how far Vlad could teleport himself but the older halfa wouldn't fly off while visible. But then Danny turned his thoughts inwards. He assessed how he felt. He didn't feel upset or scared. He felt confident and… peaceful. As much as he hated to admit it, Vlad had put him in a position where he had to change and it had worked. Not that he was going to thank the fruit loop any time soon.

Danny bit his lip and considered doing something he hadn't done for more than three months. Go for a long, relaxing flight. And his favourite time to fly was at night. It was a shame that it was cloudy but he still had the desire to go for a flight all the same. Besides, he did want to reassure himself that he could fly without fear after being so nervous of it since his capture. Also he did his best thinking while flying and he had to consider everything Vlad had told him.

"How long is left in the movie?" Danny asked, breaking the uneasy silence between them all.

"Thirty minutes or so. Why?" Danielle answered, being the first to recover from the sight of Danny mercilessly beating up Skulker. Danny nodded.

"Why don't you guys finish it? I'll be back by the end of it," Danny suggested.

"Where are you going?" Garfield whispered.

"After Plasmius?" Artemis asked. Danny shook his head.

"Nah, he's long gone by now. But… I really need to do something. Don't worry, I'm not going to go far," Danny answered.

"Don't you want to watch the movie too?" Wally inquired with confusion.

"I've missed a lot. I'd be completely lost. Besides, I wasn't all that in to it to start with," Danny admitted. He hadn't been up for watching the movie. It was more for the girls. The second movie was the one he was looking forward to and Danny sensed he'd enjoy it all the more if he got to do what he was craving to do.

"Alright Danny. But if you need a hand or anything, come get me or the rest of us," Danielle concluded, realising what that distant look in her cousin's eyes was. She too loved to fly and she recalled that it had been a long time for Danny. So she grabbed Garfield and Robin's hands and pulled them back to the cave. The rest of the teens followed her, giving Danny worried glances.

**Whew. Danny was able to change in time.**

**Any thoughts though on what Vlad told Danny? **

**Until the next chapter.**


	45. Chapter 45

Danny waited until the cave door was shut before he jumped into the air and rocketed up into the sky. The rush of air in his white hair. The roar in his ears. The feeling of complete freedom. It was the best he'd felt in a long time. He flew with his eyes shut, falling into a relaxed posture and twirling and spinning lazily. It was wonderful. He grinned to himself before opening his eyes.

He then started to think about what he'd learnt from Vlad. People were following his loved ones. Danny shook his head. Vlad must have spotted the Justice League. That was all. Lex Luthor was involved in the Guys in White. Batman and the others had suspected that. Danny knew that Luthor was part of the Light. The only thing Danny really learnt was that Vlad was worried about Luthor. To tell Danny to give into anything Luthor asked, it showed how worried and nervous Vlad was. Danny shook his head. Luthor had to find him and catch him before he could give an ultimatum. Danny could push those thoughts to the back of his mind until then. It was a very unlikely situation in Danny's mind.

Danny flew higher and higher, shifting his presence in the Real World in a way that only a ghost could so that he consciously no longer needed to breathe. He rose above the clouds and took in the thousands of stars. He picked out constellations instantly. He took in the sight and smiled, relaxed and feeling like himself once again. Flying did something for him that nothing else could. The weightless feeling as he floated as close as possible to the stars he loved, it brought him true peace. There was no other way to explain it.

Once he'd drank in the surreal sight for a few minutes, Danny allowed himself to drop back down to the ground gracefully and landed in his old training clearing. Now in ghost form, Danny wanted to assess how rusty he was in using his other powers. Powers he hadn't had the opportunity to try since before his capture.

First he did a quick checklist of invisibility, intangibility, ghost ray, ice powers and flight. All working as they should. He wouldn't be able to practice his overshadowing ability but that was fine. He duplicated his form and found it to be as easy as it had become for him after months of intensive training and merged back together. He then concentrated on a twig and his green energy enveloped it as he levitated it above the ground. With a nod to himself, he dropped it. Telekinesis working but still needed work. He could pick things up and move them but the bigger the object and the further he moved it, the harder it was. Also if it was a long way from him, it was difficult. He then floated in the air a few feet and shifted his legs into his spectral tail and did a few contortionist moves before deeming his bodily manipulation up to par.

Then he considered his last power he had to try. The ghostly wail. He took a deep breath but stopped. His mind suddenly recalled the ecto-ranium, electricity and blood blossoms. He shook his head and released the breath harmlessly. He couldn't do it. With a disappointed shake of his head, he decided to start heading back to the cave.

He floated up into the sky and the joy of flying pushed the disappointment in not being confident in all his powers out of his mind. He landed beside the entrance and decided to test one last thing. He'd changed into Phantom since his ordeal before but had only been capable due to the stressful situation. Danny hoped this wasn't the same thing. He'd been forced to change into Phantom, but at least this time he'd had a positive experience, unlike Danielle's rescue where he was overcome with his insecurities and broke down. He opened the door and reverted to human. As he walked he changed back into ghost and then to human and repeated it until he was outside the kitchen.

With one last grin to himself, he concluded that he wouldn't have a problem with turning into his alter ego anymore. He changed to human and stepped into the kitchen as the credits for the movie began to roll. The others looked over to him with concern but Danielle saw something no one else did. A glimmer of confidence in her cousin's eyes that hadn't been there before. It was the look she'd only seen before he got caught by the Guys in White. What he said to Skulker was right. Danny Phantom was back.

**Yay! Danny can change to Phantom again! Looks like Vlad did help our favourite halfa afterall. **

**Although Danny still can't use his ghostly wail…**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	46. Chapter 46

Danny rolled out of bed the next morning. It had been a really good night. Danielle, Garfield and M'gann hadn't been able to watch the second movie all the way through. They fell asleep. Conner carried M'gann to her bedroom and Danny carried Garfield and Danielle, tapping into his ghostly strength. The others had been tired too. Robin being the most alert of the teens other than Danny. But they both were more than used to being up at weird hours. Batman worked most at night and Danny was used to having weird hours from ghost fighting and his insomnia from nightmares.

As Danny pulled on his clothes, he smiled to himself, nine days and counting without a nightmare. It was the longest yet. He ruffled his hair and grabbed the thermos containing Skulker and his destroyed armour, Danny had gone back to suck the ghostly metal into the device. It saved them cleaning it up later and figuring out how to get rid of it. He didn't want to risk Skulker getting out by accident and Black Canary would be at the cave soon enough. Once the heroine arrived, he could give her the thermos to deliver to Fenton Works for emptying.

In his now normal good mood resulting in a full night's sleep, Danny walked through the cave to the kitchen. M'gann was already cooking everyone breakfast.

"Morning Danny," the Martian called brightly as she telekinetically set the table and served jugs of juice and milk. She was making pancakes for everyone.

"Morning M'gann. Sleep well?" Danny replied. The green skinned girl grinned.

"Yeah. Can't remember going to bed though. How are you?" M'gann answered. Danny smirked.

"I'm fine. By the way, Conner carried you to bed because you fell asleep in the second movie," Danny informed her. The Martian blushed slightly before getting a frying pan out of the cupboard.

"Er… what-what did you do outside last night?" M'gann changed the subject. Danny chuckled before shaking his head.

"Nothing important. Just wanted to check a few things. Using my powers is like riding a bike," Danny remarked. M'gann frowned in confusion.

"It means that once you know how, it's easy no matter how long you don't practice," Danny clarified. M'gann hummed in understanding.

"Mind passing the batter?" M'gann requested, pointing to a bowl of batter beside the halfa. Danny complied. She smiled at him as she took the bowl and poured the contents into a jug.

"Want to help?" M'gann offered. Danny shook his head and laughed.

"Trust me, you do not want a Fenton in a kitchen. My mom can make food come back to life by accident and my dad… let's just say zombie food is safer," Danny refused. M'gann frowned but didn't push the matter. Danny watched M'gann cook the pancakes, applauding her more daring pancake flips and laughing with her when she missed but managed to catch the food with her powers. She had gotten a lot better at preventing messes with her powers. She made a tower of pancakes and gave Danny his serving while they waited for the others to wake up. Danielle and Garfield arrived next and hungrily ate their meals.

By the time everyone had gotten up and eaten, it was mid-morning and Black Canary had arrived. Danny was just explaining what happened the previous evening to her when Batman's image flickered into being in the training room. He nodded to the two of them and called for a team meeting. Once everyone had gathered, Batman began to speak.

"There's a situation in Amity Park. Icon and Plastic Man haven't reported in for almost twelve hours. They were on duty to protect the Fentons, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. I'm sending the team in to make sure that they're alright," Batman explained.

Danny blinked before frowning.

"Any sign of my family during that time Batman?" Danny asked. Batman sighed.

"I'm sorry Danny but with our Leaguers MIA, we have no eyes on your family or friends. There is no way of knowing if they're safe right now," Batman admitted. Danny bit his lip and nodded. He had to check but Batman wasn't going to let him tag along, especially after last time.

"So, your mission is to go to Amity Park, locate Icon and Plastic Man and ensure that the Fentons and Sam and Tucker are safe. Any questions?" Batman concluded. The room was silent.

"Good. Go," Batman ordered and the team ran to go get changed into their costumes.

"Don't worry Danny. I'm sure they're fine. It could be something as simple as a technical failure," Batman assured the halfa. Danny smiled.

"Yeah. Maybe they had a run-in with Technus. He's a ghost that can control technology. Whenever we have a run-in with him, Tucker's PDA goes on the fritz for a few days," Danny offered but knew that it wouldn't be the case. Vlad had warned him that people were following his loved ones. Danny had assumed it was just the Justice League that Vlad spotted. But… what if it wasn't?

"I'm going to give the team my thermos. Skulker paid a visit last night. I'm sure my family's fine and they can deal with it. After all, they're tough. Especially my mom," Danny lied. The adults nodded and watched Danny run out of the room after the team.

**Gasp! Could Vlad's tip off have been legit!?**

**Also any ideas on what Danny will do?**

**Will Danny's loved ones be okay?! Will Icon and Plastic man be okay?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	47. Chapter 47

Miss Martian steered the Bioship over Amity Park. It seemed calm but from knowing Danny, the team knew that was rarely the case.

"Alright. We're here. Now what?" Kid Flash announced. Aqualad bit his lip in thought before sighing.

"I suppose our first priority is to check in with Danny's loved ones. That way we can assess who was the target, if any. And they might know something about the Leaguers' disappearance," Aqualad decided.

"Right, how do we find them then?" Artemis asked.

"If you're looking for a Fenton. First place you check is Fenton Works," a voice informed them from the back of the Bioship. They all spun in their seats to see Danny standing at the back of the cockpit, with his arms folded and looking at his hometown.

"Danny?! What? What are you doing here?!" Robin exclaimed.

"Well, it _is_ my family and friends in danger. Did you really think I was going to stay back at the cave and wait for news?" Danny replied.

"How did you get on the Bioship without us knowing?" Superboy asked, completely bewildered.

"Ghost powers," Danny answered with a shrug.

"No, Danny you shouldn't have come. It could be dangerous," Aqualad interjected, instantly recalling Danielle's rescue and Danny's resulting break down.

"You don't know whose responsible Kaldur. For all you guys know, this is because of a ghost. And no offense, but you guys suck at ghost hunting," Danny pointed out.

Aqualad frowned. He hated to admit that Danny was right. The team wasn't equipped to fight a ghost. And Danny did know this place best and his loved ones. With a heavy sigh, Aqualad nodded.

"Oh geez, Batman's gonna have a cow!" Kid Flash groaned. Danny stepped a little closer to Miss Martian to direct her and gave the speedster an acknowledging nod.

"I know. Which is why I didn't ask him or tell anyone what I was doing. If Batman's going to shout at anyone, he can shout at me," Danny informed them. The team blinked in surprise. Danny was volunteering to get yelled at. But anger and raised voices made the halfa nervous if not down-right frightened.

"Where is Fenton Works?" Zatanna inquired, eager to break the silence.

"You can't miss it," Danny retorted and smirked as he saw his house come into view.

"My parents aren't known for being subtle," Danny remarked as the team stared at the neon green sign announcing Fenton Works. Miss Martian landed the Bioship at the back of the house beside an armoured RV and a convertible. Danny glanced at the vehicles before leading the way to the front door which was unlocked.

The teens filed inside and Danny made his way through to the kitchen and down to the lab. He brought out the thermos containing Skulker and frowned at the empty lab. Wordlessly, he tapped a few buttons on the Ghost Portal control console and emptied the thermos into the Ghost Zone. Having done that, Danny clipped the thermos to his jeans belt and opened a drawer and pulled out a green earpiece.

"Come in? Anyone read me?!" Danny called into it before scowling. He pulled the earpiece out of his ear and dropped it back into the drawer. He pulled out another and tried again. He checked the frequency and tried again. With a disappointed sigh he dropped the Fenton phone into his pocket.

"Something's happened to my family and I'd hazard a guess that something happened to my friends too," Danny announced to the team, watching him curiously.

"How can you be sure? Maybe your family are just out. And they mightn't have one of those on them," Rocket reasoned, hiding her own worry for her mentor as much as possible, knowing that if something happened to the Fentons then the best chance of finding the heroes was to find the family. Danny shook his head.

"Jazz is always prepared. And she'd take her car on a ghost hunt. Same as my parents. The assault vehicle is parked around back. They're only ever in two places. In the lab. Or on a ghost hunt in the assault vehicle," Danny explained and motioned to the lack of occupants in the lab.

"So something happened to my family. Sam and Tucker have been working a lot more closely with my parents ever since they found out about me. Which means if something happened, chances are my friends would know and be out looking for them. They'd be wearing Fenton phones and we only ever use one frequency. They aren't responding. Which makes me think that whatever happened to my family may have happened to them as well," Danny resumed with a worried glance around the lab which deepened as he saw the Spectre Speeder powered off in the corner, eliminating the hope that his loved ones were in the Ghost Zone making him even more worried and suspicious. Ghosts, his family knew how to deal with. But humans like Luthor… not so much. Jazz would psycho-analyse him but she wasn't a fighter. His parents wouldn't make a move if Jazz, Sam and Tucker were in danger. He just hoped that his friends, in particular Sam, kept their cool and didn't tick off their captor.

Before the team could come up with a game plan to proceed with, Danny's ghost sense went off. He frowned and slipped into a semi-ready posture.

"Hey, look! It's the fancy-shmancy ghost boy," a heavily accented voice announced. Danny slumped and groaned.

"Not you guys," he complained as he turned to two green vultures wearing red fezzes.

"Ve heard you vere caught by the Guys in Vhite," one remarked before grinning evilly at the halfa.

"What of it?" Danny growled.

"Vell, I vould think you'd be embarrassed," the second replied. Danny scowled.

"Aren't there supposed to be three of you? Did the other one get sick of being with you pea brains and ditch you guys?" Danny pointed out.

"That's Mr. pea brain to you! Youth today. No respect!" the first vulture interjected.

"Whatever. You know that you're trespassing right? What are you doing in my house?" Danny reminded them. The vultures shared a look before shrugging.

"Ve are on a search and rescue mission," the second vulture announced proudly. Danny frowned.

"Rescue?" Danny repeated before his ghost sense went off again.

"That's right Daniel," a new voice hissed and Danny was thrown into a wall by a wave of pink energy.

"Vhat took you?!" the first vulture demanded as a third vulture joined the duo.

"Hey! I vas as fast as these old vings allowed," the third vulture retorted.

The team cried out in alarm as Danny hit the wall and gasped in pain. He struggled to his feet and looked up to see Vlad Plasmius glaring at him.

"Pla-Plasmius? What are you doing here?" Danny coughed, winded by the aggressive and unexpected hit.

"You should have listened to me Daniel! Now Maddie has been kidnapped!" Vlad growled as he crossed the room.

"Plasmius? Calm down. We can talk about this," Danny tried to reason. Vlad snarled and pushed Danny into the wall.

"No! I'm done talking Daniel! I warned you. But no one listens to Vlad Plasmius!" Vlad seethed, either not caring or not noticing the team present.

The team watched the exchange uncertainly. They didn't want to make a bad situation worse like they did the previous night.

"Listen to me! I-" Danny called. Vlad cut him off by slamming the teen into the metal plated wall and gripping his neck.

"No! _You_ listen to me! I told you to give Luthor whatever he wanted! For once in your pathetic existence, you should have listened to me!" Vlad shouted. Danny clutched at Vlad's hands and tried to pry them away from his neck.

"Vl-Vlad! I-I can't breathe!" Danny wheezed.

"You told me you had protection organised for your family! Where is it then!?" Vlad growled, ignoring Danny's pleas.

**Oh no! Our favourite halfa is in trouble and his loved ones are missing, as well as a couple of heroes in the Justice League!**

**What is going!?**

**Will the team be able to stop Vlad?**

**Will they find Danny's loved ones and the missing heroes?**

**What happened?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	48. Chapter 48

Suddenly realising that Danny was indeed in trouble and needed help, Robin and Aqualad ran forward only to be intercepted by the vultures. Unable to fight the ghosts, the vultures drove the teens further away from Vlad and Danny. Danny's vision was starting to blacken and he stopped trying to reason with Vlad. He couldn't breathe. He had to make it so that he didn't need to breathe. Something that was only possible in his ghost form. With a flash of light, Danny changed into Phantom and then shifted his presence on the Real World plane. No longer needing to breathe, his vision cleared and he could see Vlad's furious expression.

"Vlad! Listen to me! Luthor never offered me a deal!" Danny shouted forcefully.

Vlad faltered for a second, giving Danny the time to push the older halfa back and allow himself to breathe again by returning to his usual presence in the Real World. Due to suddenly needing air again, Danny collapsed to the ground and coughed and wheezed to get the oxygen he needed. Vlad slowly came out of his blind rage and watched Danny struggle to get his breath back. Danny shakily got back to his feet, breathing heavily.

"What do you mean Luthor never offered you a deal?" Vlad inquired. Danny massaged his already bruising neck.

"Just that," Danny began in a croaky voice and coughed again before clearing his throat.

"The protection for my family didn't check in during the last twelve hours. I came with those guys to check on my family," Danny explained nodding to the cornered heroes.

Vlad blinked in surprise and finally noticed the team backed in a corner on the opposite side of the room.

"Luthor hasn't been in contact with me," Danny added. Vlad turned to Danny and shook his head.

"But then why take your loved ones? Unless…" Vlad trailed off. Danny nodded, coming to the same conclusion.

"He's drawing me out," Danny agreed.

"Anyone else confused? I mean one minute they're fighting, then they're working together?" Kid Flash whispered audibly. The team nodded. Danny glanced at them before seeing the vultures. He rolled his eyes.

"Care to call off your buzzards?" Danny inquired. Vlad scowled.

"I don't answer to you Daniel," Vlad muttered before snapping his fingers at the vultures. Reluctantly the ghosts backed away from the trapped teens. The vultures glared at Danny but obeyed Vlad. The team ventured closer to the halfas, almost expecting another fight.

"How long have you been looking for my family? Do you know how long they've been missing?" Danny inquired, his breathing returning to normal.

"Since last night. I returned from my visit to you and found that your family had been taken by members of the League of Shadows. I checked with Samantha but she'd already been taken. Your friend Tucker was taken this morning after he left his house," Vlad revealed.

"Sam and Tucker's parents?" Danny prompted.

"Unaware that their children have been kidnapped. Samantha's parents and grandmother were out for the evening and returned late. And Tucker had already left home before they took him," Vlad answered.

"How do you know it was the League of Shadows?" Artemis interjected. Vlad raised an eyebrow before folding his arms.

"I'm familiar with their work. That and the cameras," Vlad answered.

"Cameras?" Danny repeated. Vlad smirked.

"Come now Daniel. Are you really surprised?" Vlad teased. Danny scowled.

"You are seriously a crazed up fruit loop. You've been spying on my family. How?!" Danny growled. Vlad's smirk widened.

"That's my little secret Daniel. You should be glad. Because of them, I knew that your family was kidnapped by those assassins within minutes of my return to Amity Park," Vlad retorted. Danny frowned in thought before gasping and glancing at the portal.

"_That's_ how you knew about the map!" Danny realised as he recalled that Vlad had known that he had the Infi-map. Vlad hummed disinterestedly as he examined his gloved hand.

Danny turned back to Vlad before shaking his head.

"Whatever. I'll look past that whole creepy stalker thing. What do you know?" Danny decided. Vlad looked up from his hand and turned to Danny.

"You don't know who the League of Shadows are do you? They don't leave clues or loose ends Daniel. We're lucky to know this much," Vlad retorted. Danny folded his arms and glared at Vlad.

"Are you saying that you can't track them down? Because I know you Plasmius. You have a plan B waiting," Danny challenged the halfa. Vlad sighed.

"Not this time little badger. I thought _I_ was the plan B. What about your friends? Or that AWOL protection you assigned to watch over your loved ones," Vlad sneered.

Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Aqualad, any leads we're missing?" Danny asked. Aqulad blinked before biting his lip.

"Not that I know of," the Atlantean admitted. Danny sighed.

"Guess I need to call in a friend then. Stay back. And Plasmius, don't be… don't be you around him," Danny decided before walking over to the Ghost Portal control console.

"What are you planning Daniel?" Vlad inquired, scowling at Danny's order.

"Did you ever hear how Damon Gray lost his job at Axion Labs?" Danny replied. Vlad blinked and nodded.

"I did. As I understand it, you and a monstrous ghost dog rampaged through the building during an inspection," Vlad answered. Danny winced but nodded.

"Yeah. Well, that monstrous ghost dog listens to me… sometimes. And I might be able to call him and get him to sniff out my family and friends," Danny informed the halfa.

Vlad frowned as Danny opened the Ghost Portal.

"Sometimes? Daniel, we don't have time to chase a disobedient dog," Vlad pointed out.

"Oh chasing him isn't going to be a problem. It's keeping him calm that's the issue," Danny retorted with a grim smirk. Vlad opened his mouth to comment further but Danny stepped through the portal grabbing a Fenton Fisher as he went.

**Any guesses who Danny's gone to find? Will he find them?**

**Yep, the League of Shadows kidnapped Danny's loved ones, but are they alright? Why do they want Danny? Did they also take Icon and Plastic man?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	49. Chapter 49

The team swallowed down their nerves at now being alone in the lab with a volatile half-ghost. Vlad turned to the vultures.

"You three are dismissed for now," he informed them. The vultures glanced at each other before shrugging.

"Alright. You're the boss," the third vulture relented and the three ghosts phased out of the building.

"So… um, if you don't mind… how do you and Danny know each other?" Miss Martian ventured. Vlad turned to her.

"It's complicated. I doubt you'd understand," Vlad answered.

"Vlad… that's your actual name isn't it?" Robin asked boldly. Vlad glared at the boy.

"Daniel told you," Vlad accused. Robin shook his head.

"No one told us. But you were the first to say your name. And you can't really blame Danny since you were strangling him at the time," Robin corrected with an accusing tone himself. Vlad scowled.

"You know nothing boy. So don't pretend to understand," Vlad growled. The team frowned at the older halfa, insulted.

"Well, if you won't tell us your relationship with Danny. What about Danielle?" Zatanna inquired. Vlad scoffed derisively.

"She's nothing to me but a mistake I have yet to clear up," Vlad snarled. The team blinked in shock.

"Wait… you… you're the one that created her, aren't you?" Superboy realised with a frown. Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"They didn't tell you? Makes me wonder if they trust you at all," Vlad commented. The team scowled again, not even doubting Danny's motives for not telling them. They trusted Danny and knew he had to have his reasons for not telling them.

"How can you say that about her?" Artemis whispered, appalled. Vlad shrugged.

"Why should I feel any different? That mistake betrayed me," Vlad growled. The team shared a look. Vlad was right. It did seem complicated. Whatever relationship the three halfas had with each other was indeed complex and confusing.

A little while after Danny had disappeared into the portal, he remerged. He looked a little tousled, like he'd been in a fight, and yanked on a fishing rod with glowing blue string. A small green dog, panting happily and wagging his tail followed, the string tied to his collar. Cujo had been a handful once the halfa found him. Danny sighed and then assessed the lab.

"I see you've been making friends Plasmius," Danny commented, seeing the veiled angered and hateful glares the halfa was getting from the teens.

Vlad sneered at Danny before looking at the dog Danny returned with.

"Daniel, what is that? I was under the impression you were _fetching_ a monstrous brute, not this pathetic mutt," Vlad asked. Danny glared at Vlad.

"What did I say? Don't act like you. You don't want to make Cujo angry," Danny scolded.

"Daniel, that mongrel is not the same dog that attacked Axion Labs," Vlad pointed out, glaring at the grumbling green puppy. Danny glanced at Cujo and his eyes went wide in alarm.

"Uh oh," he muttered and backed away from the dog.

Before everyone's eyes, the green puppy grew from a happy, panting dog into a snarling monster with long drips of slobber dangling from his mouth. The team reacted instinctively and drew out their weapons. Danny ran in front of the dog.

"No! Put away your weapons!" Danny ordered urgently. The team faltered but obeyed. Danny stood in front of Cujo with his arms wide.

"Cujo, it's alright! Calm down," Danny soothed the beast. Vlad scoffed.

"Daniel that is not going to work," Vlad taunted. Danny glared at Vlad before turning to Cujo. The dog was growling loudly at Vlad.

"Plasmius, stop making Cujo angry. Apologise," Danny scolded in an even tone. Vlad gave a humourless bark of laughter.

"I am not apologising to a dumb beast!" Vlad retorted, Cujo took a step forward. Danny spread his arms out wider.

"No Cujo. Sit!" Danny commanded. The dog glanced at Danny before slowly complying but continued to growl at Vlad. The team were impressed and hoped that this display of obedience would force Vlad to listen to Danny.

"Plasmius! Don't make me blast you! Stop being so darn stubborn and apologise. I can't keep him back forever!" Danny yelled, keeping a close watch on Cujo. Vlad considered the situation. With a reluctant sigh, he stepped forward eliciting more deep growls.

"No, stay back. Just do it from there," Danny interjected.

Vlad rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Very well, for the sake of keeping the peace. I apologise," Vlad relented. Cujo's aggression eased and Danny edged closer and patted the dog's side.

"Easy boy. That's it. No need to be angry," Danny muttered and the dog gradually calmed down enough to return to his original size. Danny glared at Vlad.

"Was that really so hard?" Danny challenged. Vlad looked away.

"Are you saying that your apology to me after the elections was easy?" Vlad countered. Danny ground his teeth.

"That was different and you know it. Don't act like you know everything because you really don't," Danny retorted.

The team shared worried looks as they sensed another fight brewing.

"Superboy, mind holding Cujo's leash. Plasmius, stay quiet and keep away from him. I don't want you making him angry," Danny requested, holding out the Fenton Fisher to the clone. Conner blinked in surprise at being singled out but obliged. Danny gave the clone a quick grateful smile.

"Cujo. Stay!" Danny commanded and the dog whined as he lay down on the ground. With a quick nod, the halfa flew up and phased through the ceiling. A moment later he returned with a blue headband.

He grabbed a spool of glowing thread from a drawer and handed a number of Fenton phones to the others.

"Cujo isn't going to stick around once he gets the scent. Only me and Plasmius are going to be able to keep up. Fenton phones have good range," Danny explained and then knelt down beside Cujo and untied the Fenton Fisher. Cujo perked up and eagerly sniffed the blue headband offered to him. Danny slipped it into his jumpsuit pocket alongside the spool of ecto-resin lined thread. He stood up and pointed to the stairs.

"Cujo, fetch!" Danny ordered as he slipped his own Fenton phone in his ear.

Cujo barked and sped off through the lab. Danny and Vlad chased after the dog.

"If that mutt finds Jasmine, I'll eat my hat," Vlad grumbled as the three ghosts phased out of the house.

"You don't wear a hat," Danny interjected. Vlad didn't dignify the comment with a response.

**So Danny and Vlad are working together, at least for now, to find Danny's loved ones. **

**And of course it was Cujo Danny went to find. **

**But will Cujo find Danny's loved ones? Where will he find them? Will Danny and Vlad and the team be able to rescue them?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	50. Chapter 50

Danny and Vlad flew in relative silence after the green blur following the scent of the blue hairband.

"I'm glad to see that my motivation last night was enough to get Phantom back," Vlad remarked with a soft chuckle. Danny scowled.

"Not even close Vlad. All you did was force me to change in a life or death situation. I have changed since being rescued from the Guys in White you know," Danny retorted.

"Yes, but nonetheless I did help you little badger," Vlad pointed out.

"In your own twisted way, I suppose. But that's the most you're getting from me," Danny conceded. Vlad smirked. It was the closest he was going to get to a thank you and they both knew it.

"By the way, your new little friends know my name is Vlad and that I was the one to clone you. But if they learn any more-" Vlad began.

"Vlad, stop with the threat. I can't stop them from investigating. Robin isn't going to keep what they've learnt about you from his mentor. And you know that Batman can put Masters to Plasmius. So, you can't blame me if you get figured out. I'm not going to tell but that's the most I can say. Besides, it's not like I owe you my life or anything," Danny interrupted with a glare. Vlad scowled.

"Daniel, I couldn't get involved when you got captured by the Guys in White," Vlad retorted. Danny shook his head and scowled at the blur that was Cujo.

They flew in silence again. They couldn't even take in the sights due to their speedy flight. Everything was blurred and they needed to be ready to dodge if something appeared.

"So, your new friends. Justice League sidekicks and strays?" Vlad assumed.

"Covert team assembled by Batman containing new young heroes. It's a stepping stone to getting into the Justice League if you must know," Danny corrected. Vlad nodded.

"I assume you joined what with your infuriating hero complex. Is that why Luthor and the Light have taken an interest in you?" Vlad asked. Danny shook his head.

"Just in protection. Not that you care. I haven't lied to you Vlad," Danny answered.

"I see. You do realise that my offer to take you in as my own and teach you is still available. I can teach you so much Daniel," Vlad offered.

"You can stop there Vlad. I'm not interested. I've done fine by myself until now. I will never become your evil apprentice or whatever," Danny interjected.

"I am not a villain!" Vlad shouted. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Listen here you little rat! I offered to protect your loved ones. I did as you asked me to do. I warned you! I don't want to see you dead!" Vlad growled. Danny glanced at the older halfa.

"You could have fooled me," Danny muttered. Vlad shook his head.

"You made me the villain Daniel. You and your idiot father! If it wasn't for that oaf, I would have married your mother, graduated from college and be human! Your father is to blame. He took everything from me! And can't you see that he took just as much from you?! It was his bumbling that resulted in both of us!" Vlad raged.

Danny shook his head.

"You're wrong Vlad. Dad wasn't the blame for my accident. And even if you had never had your accident, mom would still have married dad," Danny replied. He had never blamed his parents. The portal, yes. His own stupidity, tons. Sam, only once. But never his parents. At the end of the day, he chose to step into that portal. He was responsible for his accident. And Danny had seen that maybe Jack was more to blame for Vlad's accident than he had been for Danny's. But Vlad had been the one to put his face right up to a potentially dangerous machine.

One moment doesn't define someone for their entire lives. True, cheating on the CATs had supposedly created his dark alternate future self, but that was only one choice he made on that path. He used his powers to steal the test. He chose to look at the answers and cheat. He then chose to ask Vlad to get rid of his ghost half. Then his ghost half split Vlad's halves and merged the ghost halves. So as much as Vlad wanted to blame Jack for his misfortunes, Danny didn't believe it was his father's fault.

"Do you hear yourself Daniel?! Of course your father was to blame. What kind of parent leaves a dangerous machine like that accessible to children?!" Vlad pointed out.

"So now you're blaming my mom too? Because they worked together for years to build that portal," Danny reminded the older halfa. Vlad blinked before realising what he had said.

"Besides, Vlad. If it weren't for your accident, you wouldn't have your ghost powers. And I was under the impression that you liked being able to use your powers against others. Overshadowing business partners, stealing using intangibility and invisibility, or what about using your powers to dominate over other ghosts?" Danny retorted. Vlad frowned but couldn't come up with an argument for that.

"So you can't say that dad is to blame for where you are today. If you're that desperate for company get a cat," Danny concluded. Vlad scowled.

"I will not get a cat Daniel!" Vlad hissed, ignoring the fact that he did in fact have a cat. Danny smirked.

"If you say so cheese head," Danny replied.

"Oh, real mature Daniel. Resorting to name calling. I think you're forgetting why we're chasing that mutt," Vlad reminded Danny.

"No I haven't forgotten Vlad. I just like to try and keep things light. Running around getting stressed doesn't help anyone. Cracking a few jokes helps to relieve the tension," Danny replied.

Vlad glanced at Danny before sighing.

"I'm sure they're fine Daniel. Luthor won't risk hurting them until he has you in case it provokes you. As long as you keep the situation calm, your loved ones will be safe," Vlad assured Danny. Danny gave a stiff nod.

"Maybe, but I won't relax until they're safe at home," Danny retorted.

**Hmm, could that be the sound of halfas bonding? Gasp!**

**Maybe a little bit of a filler but I thought it was still a good chapter to show Vlad and Danny's relationship. Even if it's a little screwy.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	51. Chapter 51

Unfortunately, Danny had been right. Kid Flash had tried to run after the three ghosts but had nearly crashed into moving traffic in the attempt. So the team resorted to trying to follow the blurs of colour as Vlad and Danny chased after Cujo. Miss Martian had to push her Bioship to the fastest possible and even then the entire team had to keep their eyes open or they'd lose the trail. After an hour, they reached an isolated building.

Miss Martian landed the Bioship in a sheltered area nearby and they found Danny, struggling to tie some glowing string around Cujo's collar, and Vlad, who was watching with annoyance.

"I don't see why you don't just let the mutt go Daniel," Vlad remarked. Danny scowled at Vlad.

"Right. And let him charge right into a bunch of ghost hunters. Not gonna happen Vlad," Danny retorted.

"It would be a suitable distraction," Vlad pointed out. Cujo growled at the older halfa.

"Cujo, it's alright. Vlad's joking. Right?!" Danny assured the dog, glaring at Vlad. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Geez, do you guys ever stop arguing?" Kid Flash called to them. Danny glanced at the speedster.

"Only when people are watching," Danny answered, with a smirk.

"Very funny Daniel," Vlad drawled.

"How did you guys meet? I mean one minute you're trying to kill each other and then the next you're acting like friends," Artemis inquired, with a disbelieving shake of her head. Danny turned to Vlad, having tied the string to Cujo's collar.

"It's a long story which we don't have time for and I don't wish to have to explain," Vlad answered. Danny nodded.

"Let's just say, he beat me up before he learned what I was and then I blackmailed him when I figured out what he was," Danny offered to satisfy their curiosity. The team blinked in surprise and pushed back their next questions.

"So, this is where your family and friends are?" Robin inquired, changing the subject. Danny bit his lip.

"Well, Cujo's pretty sure that Jazz is here and I don't see why Luthor or whoever is behind this would split them up. So, yeah," Danny answered. Vlad scanned the surroundings.

"Well, I've done my part," Vlad decided.

"Wait, what?" Zatanna exclaimed. Vlad turned to her before scowling in dislike.

"I'm not going to risk getting caught for Daniel's sake. He knows what I think he should do," Vlad elaborated before he floated off the ground.

"Vlad! Don't do this! You coward!" Danny shouted after the older halfa as he left. Danny clenched his fists and growled in Vlad's direction. The team turned to Danny.

"Er… what now?" Rocket asked awkwardly.

Danny glared at Vlad's retreating form until it disappeared as the halfa turned invisible or teleported away. He turned to the building. It was a Guys in White base. That much he could tell from the amount of white and the number of suited agents. He scanned the base for any sign of weakness before realising that Vlad was right. He had to go along with what Luthor wanted. These guards would let him pass because this was a trap or an arranged meeting. Danny wasn't sure what it was exactly meant to be. He glanced down at Cujo before sighing.

"As much as I hate it, Vlad's right. I have to go along with what Luthor wants. I have to walk in there," Danny informed the others.

"No way! That's suicide!" Zatanna exclaimed. Danny nodded.

"Maybe. Or maybe I can be the distraction for you guys to get in there and save my family, friends and Icon and Plastic Man," Danny interjected.

"But Danny, what if Cujo's wrong? What if your family isn't even here?" Aqualad asked. Danny sighed.

"I have to be sure. I don't like this anymore than you guys, but I can't see another way. Vlad is the best I've ever seen at manipulating people. And he told me the only option I have is to agree to whatever Luthor offers," Danny informed them with a helpless shrug.

The team didn't look happy with that plan.

"What if he asks you to go back to the Guys in White? Or to work for him? Or to hurt someone?" Artemis interjected. Danny shook his head.

"I don't know. But, I can stall until you guys come in and back me up. The Guys in White know I'm a powerful and dangerous ghost. They'll want to focus on me more than another unlikely threat. And I can bring Cujo with me to help. He used to be a guard dog," Danny offered. Aqualad glanced at Robin.

"Danny, I don't want to push you. What if you react badly and we lose contact with you?" Aqualad inquired, referencing the halfa's break down after Danielle's rescue and his overwhelming fear during the rescue. Danny shook his head.

"I'm not scared Kaldur. Concerned for my family and friends and worried about walking into that place, especially with Cujo. But I'm not scared. I was the last time, but I'm not the same person now," Danny assured the Atlantean.

Aqualad frowned sceptically at the halfa. Danny smiled reassuringly.

"Do you guys want to know what I was doing last night when I stayed outside?" Danny asked. The team blinked in surprise and nodded tentatively.

"I was going for a flight. The first one since you guys saved me," Danny told them simply.

"I've seen you flying," Kid Flash interjected with a frown. Danny nodded.

"True, but I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I was concentrating on reaching Dani. But last night, I was just being myself. I went for a flight and then I checked how my powers are. You know, any uncertainties or difficulties. My only problem is my wail. And I only ever use that power in extreme cases," Danny explained. The team shared uncertain looks. Danny smirked.

"Trust me. You guys have never seen me in my element. This is as close as I've been in a long time. I'll be fine," Danny assured them.

Aqualad still didn't look happy.

"Do you trust Vlad's plan?" Robin asked. Danny bit his lip and sighed.

"Let me put it this way. It's in Vlad's interest to help me right now. He doesn't want my family to get killed, well mostly. Vlad isn't going to give me bad advice right now. And Vlad… he's been a halfa for more than twenty years and as I understand it, I'm the first person to have ever learned about him. He knows how to work the system. He's not the nicest person or the most moral, but he knows how to manipulate people. So if he thinks my only option is to agree with Luthor, then that is my only option. Believe me, if I had a better plan, I'd use it. But I've always been better at thinking on my feet. Vlad's the one that loves chess and applies it to everyday life and scheming," Danny explained.

"Then we trust your judgement Danny," Aqualad decided after sharing a look with Robin.

**Well, it's not really surprising that Vlad left before any fighting could start, is it?**

**But Danny is going to walk into a Guys in White building to hopefully find or allow the team to find his loved ones.**

**Will it work? Will a rescue mission actually go off without a hitch this time?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	52. Chapter 52

Danny stood in the bushes and took a deep breath. The plan was made and his Fenton phone was on. They decided to link everyone up via Miss Martian's mental link but to use the Fenton phones Danny provided to listen to Danny's progress. Telepathic communication wasn't always discrete due to facial expressions and the need for concentration which could impede a second conversation. So the team would keep their microphones off and listen to Danny as he walked into the complex. The mental link was more for the team to keep in contact but also to warn Danny when they made their move.

The halfa looked down to Cujo and untied the thread.

"Alright boy. I need you to be quiet and stay calm. We can't afford for you to get into a fight before it's needed. Think you can do that?" Danny muttered to the green puppy. The dog gave a soft yip that Danny took as a yes. He nodded and took another calming breath before he stepped out of the bushes and into view of the Guys in White agents guarding the complex, Cujo trailed along behind him.

Danny walked confidently and purposefully, pushing down his mounting nervousness. He'd already decided to be as careful as possible and keep as many of his powers secret as possible. The Guys in White didn't know all of them. Mostly because he'd never needed to use them against the ghost hunters in the past or because they were rarely used anyway, like his ghostly wail. They hadn't known about that until he used it against them accidently. The guards spotted his approach and pulled out their weapons.

"Halt! Put your hands where we can see them!" one surprisingly familiar guard ordered. Danny raised an eyebrow. The ghost hunters weren't aware that he could use his eyes to direct his ghost energy or ice energy into an attack.

"Agent O," Danny replied, making no move to comply but also not making a move to attack. The bald agent growled at him.

"Put your hands where I can see them!" Agent O demanded.

"If I move, you'll use it as a reason to fire. I'm not stupid," Danny retorted. The ghost hunter scowled as he realised that Danny knew what he was trying to do.

"What are you doing here? You're violating laws 43 subsection delta and 78 subsection gamma," another familiar agent asked. Danny looked at the agent and recognised him as Agent K, Agent O's longstanding partner.

"I'm here for my family and friends. Release them!" Danny answered with an edge to his voice.

"You don't order us around ghost boy!" Agent K seethed. Danny raised an eyebrow but refrained from crossing his arms.

"I seem to remember you idiots attacking my friends in the past. I told you to stay away from them. I would have thought that even morons like you two would know not to provoke a ghost," Danny growled.

"_Danny, I really don't think you should antagonise them_," Rocket interjected through the mind link.

"_Relax guys, I've dealt with these guys before. If I didn't insult or taunt them, they'd know something's up. Trust me, I'm not being reckless,_" Danny replied mentally.

The agents glared at the halfa and Cujo growled defensively. Danny glanced at the dog and made a soft calming sound.

"Look, I'm not looking for a fight. I just want to get my family and friends back," Danny added, leaving the threatening edge out of his voice this time. The guards around him shifted and glanced at each other.

"I don't have to be this nice about it, you know. I could just phase inside after I knock you guys out. But I want to be diplomatic," Danny informed them with a light scowl.

Agents O and K glanced at each other before lowering their guns and Agent K pressed a hand to the earpiece in his ear.

"Phantom's here. How do you wish to proceed?" Agent K announced. The agent scowled as he was given his orders and then stepped aside.

"Follow me," the agent grumbled reluctantly. The guards lowered their guns and allowed Danny and Cujo to pass, glaring hatefully at the halfa the entire time. Agent O and K led the way.

They walked inside the complex as the ghost hunters led Danny and Cujo through white, brightly lit corridors. Danny frowned as the lights and whiteness made his eyes sting.

"Are those sunglasses part of the uniform or do you guys just wear them because you want to?" Danny asked with genuine curiosity.

"Both. Be quiet!" Agent O replied. Danny smirked.

"You know, having everything white… a bit of overkill no? You could paint the walls a less blinding colour," Danny commented.

"We told you, shut it!" Agent K growled.

"I have always wondered though. Why white? Why not pink or blue? Or what about green? Green's a nice colour," Danny resumed, ignoring the agents. His unimportant questions were helping him to relax a little, which in turn helped Cujo stay calm.

"Do you want to get shot?" Agent O threatened, lifting his gun slightly.

"It's just a question. Geez, you guys are in a bad mood. By the way, I thought you were field agents. Why are you guarding this place?" Danny remarked. The agents glared at him. Danny grinned at them.

"Oh, that's it. Isn't it? You got demoted. Ha! About time. You two are useless ghost hunters. I've seen the Box Ghost beat you up," Danny taunted, enjoying his mocking at the agents' expense.

"You weren't so cocky when we caught you," Agent K interjected with a smirk. Danny frowned.

"I think you need to check your memory. I was like this. Besides I wouldn't be so proud about that. You got a lucky shot. That's all," Danny recalled stiffly, he didn't like the way this conversation was going all of a sudden.

The agents shrugged.

"Lucky shot or not. It shut you up and we learned tons," Agent O commented. Danny scowled.

"Right. You do realise that what you did is illegal?" Danny pointed out.

"Imprisoning and experimenting on a ghost? Check your laws. We're meant to do that," Agent K retorted with a grin.

"Uh-huh. And humans?" Danny reminded them. The agents shared a quick glance.

"You don't qualify," Agent O answered. Danny struggled to rein in his outrage at that comment. His eyes flashed brightly.

"Don't qualify," Danny repeated softly with an angered scowl. The agents ignored the comment.

"_Danny, they're wrong_," Robin began to reassure the halfa.

"_Don't Rob. I'm not in the mood right now. Honestly I want to punch them. If you start reassuring me, I might just lose my self-control,_" Danny interjected. The ghost hunters stopped at a pair of double doors and glanced at Danny, who still looked outraged, Cujo kept glancing at the halfa worriedly.

"You try anything, and it won't be a lucky shot," Agent K threatened, patting his anti-ghost gun clipped to his belt in full view. Danny glared at them.

"I told you. You shouldn't provoke a ghost. And since I don't _qualify_ as human, you two are on seriously thin ice. Don't push it," Danny snarled. The agents licked their lips nervously before opening the doors and leading the way inside.

**What will Danny find on the other side of the door!?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	53. Chapter 53

Danny stepped into a large room. On one side sat his friends and family tied up and gagged with normal rope. They all stared at him as he stepped into the room and they shouted muffled cries that sounded like warnings. Danny swept his gaze over them, but they were unharmed. Although he could tell that they hadn't come without a fight considering their torn clothes and tousled hair, but they were unharmed. In a dark corner was a woman wearing a green kimono and a grinning mask, weapons were strapped to her hips and her back, evident by the hilts of blades visible over her shoulders. There were a few black garbed people spread through the room, in particular close to Danny's loved ones. They reminded him of ninjas.

He then turned to the man and woman standing in the middle of the room. The man had a bald head and wore a suit. Lex Luthor stood in a relaxed posture, almost like he was waiting for a business partner for a lunch meeting rather than a ticked off half-ghost. The woman had long brown hair and wore a dark suit. She had no expression on her face and despite seeming relaxed, Danny could recognise a ready posture when he saw it. It was discrete but he saw it. He understood that this woman was guarding Luthor and so was a lot more dangerous than she seemed. Which explained Luthor's ease in this tense situation.

Agents O and K stepped out of the way on either side of the double doors, blocking the exit should Danny try anything. Luthor smiled at Danny.

"Hello Danny, I can call you that right?" Luthor greeted him. Danny decided to play it safe and pretend he didn't know who Luthor was.

"Sure. Better than some of the things I've been called in the past," Danny replied, giving an obvious glare towards the Guys in White behind him. Luthor nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure. I do apologise for your treatment in their labs," Luthor retorted, giving a scolding scowl to the agents as well. Danny raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What do you mean? How did you know about that?" Danny asked worriedly. Anyone that didn't know him would think he was nervous, but he knew his friends would pick up on his true intention.

Luthor blinked.

"I was under the impression you were aware of my involvement with the Guys in White," Luthor remarked, confused. Danny frowned and shook his head.

"Sorry. No. Do you mind, who are you?" Danny lied. Luthor recovered from the surprise and drew himself to his full height proudly.

"Lex Luthor, founder and CEO of LexCorp. Fore runner in technology, rivalled only by Wayne Industries. Star labs and Axion labs are a close second of course," Luthor introduced himself. Danny blinked and nodded.

"Oh. Sorry for not recognising you. I'm not really up to date on the news. Been a busy couple of years," Danny apologised carefully. Luthor smiled in an understanding way.

"It's fine Danny. I don't blame you. Youth today are rarely interested in politics, right?" Luthor offered and Danny gave a tentative smile in agreement.

"_Kaldur, I'm in the control room now. I'll have visual on Danny and hopefully the Leaguers and his loved ones soon_," Robin announced over the mind link. Danny kept his face neutral as he scanned the room.

"You have a lot of guards Mr. Luthor," Danny remarked. Luthor scanned the room before smiling.

"I do. But I suppose, we should get to business. If you aren't aware of my involvement, then I doubt you'd know of the Light," Luthor decided. Danny frowned questioningly.

"Light? Is that a branch of the Guys in White?" Danny inquired with a confused expression. Luthor smirked and shook his head.

"No. The Light are far more influential and discrete than this government funded organisation," Luthor corrected. Danny frowned again, seemingly in thought.

"But if you're not part of the Guys in White, then… how is it you can order these guys around? Because the Guys in White have never taken humans before and I noticed that you're the one in charge," Danny pointed out.

Luthor blinked in surprise at the question.

"I give additional funding to this organisation in return for being kept up to date on their projects. You're surprisingly perceptive Danny," Luthor remarked. Danny shrugged.

"Having a clueless reputation helps with my line of work. I'm not stupid," Danny replied honestly. He only did badly at school due to lack of sleep and time because of ghost fights. In fact the lack of sleep, did sometimes make him a little slow on the uptake, but since being with the team, he'd caught up on his sleep and improved in his studies with Red Tornado. Luthor nodded.

"I see. Then I assume that you understand that I mean you and your loved ones no harm," Luthor commented.

Danny gave his family and friends an obvious glance.

"Then why take them? What do you want if you're not with the Guys in White?" Danny asked. Luthor nodded.

"You are a very elusive man to find Danny. I needed to get your attention somehow. I want to give you an offer," Luthor explained. Danny blinked at being referred to as a man. A moment ago he was being told that he wasn't even human. It suddenly struck Danny how Luthor truly didn't see him as a ghost only. But he kept his expression impassive.

"An offer?" Danny prompted.

"_Icon and Plastic Man are on the second basement. They seem to be unconscious. Danny and his loved ones are with Luthor in a large room on the ground floor_," Robin informed the team.

"_Team alpha, go to Icon and Plastic Man. Team beta, go to Danny. Robin, direct us,_" Aqualad ordered. Danny ignored the exchange.

"That's right Danny. I would like you to work for us," Luthor continued.

"Work for you? Doing what?" Danny inquired with obvious suspicion. Luthor chuckled.

"Oh, just little jobs here and there. I don't wish to stop you fighting those other ghosts. I'd just like you to offer your unique abilities for our plans. It wouldn't be anything big, I assure you. A simple infiltration here. Maybe a little destruction there," Luthor answered.

Danny considered the man as he ignored Robin's mental directions to the others. He knew what Luthor was asking. He wanted Danny to be a hired gun. His own personal mercenary. Which Danny was never going to agree to.

"What's in it for me?" Danny inquired, trying to stall until the team could reach him.

"Well, firstly, as part of the Light, I can make sure that the Guys in White leave you alone and those reports detailing their experiments could disappear. In addition, your loved ones would be under our protection and you would be paid. Handsomely I'll add," Luthor offered with a warm smile. Danny blinked. It was admittedly a very generous offer. One that he would be a fool to decline in all honesty. Immunity from the Guys in White. His secret protected. His family and friends protected. And all he had to do was break the law and take a step closer to becoming his evil self… that was a deal breaker. He made a promise and he intended to keep it even if he never technically made the promise since it never happened due to Clockwork rewinding time.

"And the alternative?" Danny asked carefully.

"Do I need to go into specifics Danny?" Luthor retorted and waved a hand in his loved ones' direction. Danny licked his lips and shook his head.

"_Guys, running out of material_!" Danny warned the others.

"_We're almost there Danny. Keep stalling_," Aqualad replied.

"What makes you think that I'd want to destroy things?" Danny inquired. Luthor frowned.

"Come now Danny. I have been funding the Guys in White for years. They've told me how destructive ghosts like to be. You may only be half-ghost but I've seen the evidence of that urge inside you. Your human half is holding you back from reaching your potential Danny. I'm offering you a chance to really let loose in a controlled way. Think of it this way, you're a loaded gun. Your human half is the safety lock. I'm giving you the opportunity to fire that gun at a safe target," Luthor explained.

Danny bit his lip to prevent a snide remark. They thought ghosts were mindless destructive creatures unable to control themselves. They thought that he was only different because of his human half. How wrong could they be!? However Danny could see that if that was the case, Luthor's offer was very tempting.

"You shouldn't believe everything they tell you Mr. Luthor. There are a number of misconceptions about ghosts," Danny informed the businessman. Luthor's frown deepened. Danny could sense that he was getting himself into trouble but as long as he could keep Luthor talking, the team had a chance at getting to them before things took a turn for the worst.

"Misconception? Danny, I've read the reports. I know about that scream of yours during the experimentation," Luthor pointed out. Danny bit his lip. He glanced at his family before deciding to keep the conversation going.

"That wasn't what it seemed Mr. Luthor. I wasn't actually aware of what I was doing. I didn't want to destroy, I wanted to escape. There's a big difference," Danny admitted.

"Are you saying that power was a defence mechanism?" Luthor realised, raising an eyebrow. Danny nodded.

"Yeah. It was. I didn't mean to do it. My powers are sometimes instinctive. I don't always realise what I'm doing. Most of the time, I activate my powers for the first time by accident. Like my ghost ray. It was instinct that I later learned to control," Danny explained. He just had to keep Luthor talking.

Luthor frowned in thought.

"I see. So, my offer?" Luthor asked. Danny bit his lip.

"_Guys! Seriously running out of material_!" Danny mentally shouted.

"_Hold on. We're almost there_," Aqualad assured him.

"It is a very generous offer Mr. Luthor," Danny admitted. Luthor nodded.

"It is," the businessman agreed. Danny glanced around the room, playing for time.

"I need an answer Danny. I'm not a very patient man," Luthor warned. Danny bit his lip and turned his gaze to his family and friends, desperately trying to draw out the wait for his necessary answer. Luthor tutted.

"I guess that's my answer right there. Very well, I tried. But if you refuse to be my ally, I can't exactly let such a unique resource go. Doctor!" Luthor concluded.

Danny snapped his gaze to the businessman.

"Wait!" Danny shouted before crying out and falling to his knees as a piercingly loud noise filled the room. The humans were unaffected but he and Cujo were in pain. Cujo whined and held his paws over his ears in an effort to drown out the sound. Danny rammed his hands over his ears, noticing that the ear with his Fenton phone wasn't nearly as painful as his bare ear was. As a result he heard Luthor's next order before the noise intensified.

"Restrain him. Kill the children, they are of no use to me. But keep the adults alive. Their expertise is invaluable," Luthor decided.

**Oh no! What will happen?!**

**Will the team get there in time to save Danny and his loved ones?**

**Let me know your theories. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	54. Chapter 54

Danny looked up and through his pain saw his parents being pulled to their feet and pushed out of a side door. They struggled to stay with the children. They were shouting too but everything seemed to reach Danny through a muffled buzzing. The green kimono woman had started to walk over to his sister and friends, taking out a sai as she walked. Agents O and K had left their posts too. He glanced at Cujo and frowned with determination. He was not going to let his loved ones get hurt and he was never going to be caught by the Guys in White again. He dropped his hands and grabbed the thermos on his belt. He'd decided to have it on his ghost form to show the illusion that he was prepared for ghosts and didn't know about Luthor's interest in him.

He took off the lid.

"Sorry boy, but you'll be safer in here," Danny muttered, unable to even hear his own voice. He pointed the thermos at the dog and activated the device. He then returned the thermos to his hip and struggled to his feet. But he'd acted too slowly. Agents O and K had reached him. They grabbed his arms.

"_Hold on Danny! We'll be there in seconds_!" Aqualad informed him.

"_Seconds is too late_," Danny retorted. He looked over to his friends and sister. He struggled against the men holding him. They were in danger. They couldn't protect themselves and the team wouldn't be there in time. He had to get to them. He had to move. But the distance was too great. Even if he got free, he'd never make it in time.

Suddenly a familiar feeling swept over him. A feeling he'd only felt twice. His form disappeared in a puff of green smoke and he reappeared in front of his friends and sister, just in time to put up a shield to deflect a thrown sai, there was no time to be confused. Danny dropped his shield and duplicated himself. He spun around and began to untie Sam, as she was closest. His duplicate glared at the people surrounding him.

"Danny!? How did you do that?" Sam exclaimed as he removed her gag. Danny didn't hear her question but saw her lips moving.

"What?!" he asked, once again not even hearing his voice as he gripped the ropes in his charged hand, burning the bindings to a degree so that even Sam could snap them. His duplicate fired multiple ghost rays at projectiles thrown at him and the room was filled with loud explosions and shouts. Luthor and his body guard retreated out of the line of fire. The noise that deafened Danny stopped as well as they saw that it no longer affected Danny. Sam frowned as Danny took Jazz's gag off her.

"I asked, how you did that?!" Sam repeated herself slightly louder. Danny, once again saw her lips moving but heard nothing. He scowled in confusion. Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"Danny?! Can you hear us?!" she called, but since Danny was looking at Sam, he didn't even know she'd spoken to him. Danny burned through Jazz's bonds and she touched his shoulder. He turned to her.

"Can you hear me!?" Jazz shouted, mouthing the words clearly as she spoke. Danny frowned and tapped his unoccupied ear.

"Can't hear!" he told her, unknowingly answering her question.

Jazz gasped as Danny turned to Tucker and took off his gag.

"That noise! It must have deafened him!" Jazz realised.

"What?! Do you think it's permanent?" Sam inquired, watching Danny burn through Tucker's bindings. Jazz shook her head.

"No idea. But he can't fight off so many enemies handicapped like this," Jazz replied with concern.

"If only we had our ghost weapons," Tucker moaned. Danny frowned at them, not sure if they were talking to him or not.

But back up arrived and the double doors Danny entered through exploded open. Danny looked up seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye and smirked.

"Finally," he muttered. As they could hear fine, Sam, Tucker and Jazz heard Danny's comment. They tapped him on the shoulder and gave him a questioning look.

"Did you really think I came with only Cujo as back up?" he asked. They blinked in surprise and turned to see Aqualad with his water bearers ready, charge into the fray with Superboy. Artemis fired arrows, imprisoning the assassins attacking Danny in expanding foam. Kid Flash zoomed over to Danny and raised an eyebrow at the fact that there was two Dannys.

"Since when can you do that?" he inquired.

Danny didn't hear the speedster and scanned the room. Kid Flash frowned.

"Danny?!" he called.

"He can't hear you. That noise deafened him," Sam interjected. Kid Flash turned to the Goth.

"What!?" he gasped. He turned to Danny.

"_Danny! Can you hear_?" Kid Flash asked telepathically. Danny turned to the speedster.

"_No. Well, I can in my left but not with all these explosions. Sorry, were you saying something_?" Danny answered. Kid Flash shook his head in disbelief, subconsciously noticing that the Fenton phone was in his left ear.

"_In that case, Danny retreat with your friends_," Aqualad decided.

"_What about my parents? They took them somewhere_," Danny interjected.

"_They're through the door beside you, third left and second right. There's an exit that way too. But you'll come out on the opposite side of the complex to the Bioship_," Robin informed them.

"_Where's Cujo_?" Superboy inquired.

"_In my thermos. He's safe. Might be deaf like me, but he'll be fine_," Danny answered. Danny's duplicate spotted the clone nod as he threw a punch at one of his attackers.

"_Alright, go after your parents. Wally go with him. Once you guys and team alpha are clear, Conner, Artemis and I will follow_," Aqualad ordered. Kid Flash turned to the trio watching Danny and Kid Flash with confusion.

"Come on, we're going after Danny's parents," Kid Flash informed them and gestured for them to head through the door.

"Wait, how do you know that Danny's parents were taken that way?" Tucker interjected. Kid Flash glanced at Danny and groaned as he saw that the halfa hadn't heard a word.

"We can communicate telepathically. Miss Martian set up a mental link. Danny and the rest of the team have been talking using that," Kid Flash explained.

"So, you can communicate with him even though he's deaf. That's a relief," Jazz realised.

"Yeah, Danny sucks at lip reading," Sam grumbled. Kid Flash blinked at the response before smirking. Danny noticed the smile.

"You're talking about me, aren't you?" Danny inquired, talking a little louder than usual.

Kid Flash glanced at the halfa before giving him an innocent expression as he pushed the door open. Danny scowled.

"_Guys, I can sustain my duplicate at distance. But you'll need to tell me if something's up because neither of us can hear_," Danny informed them.

"_Noted_," Aqualad acknowledged. Danny then walked through the door, leaving his duplicate to stop anyone following them.

**Whew! **

**That was a close one.**

**But they're not out of danger just yet.**

**Will Danny save his parents?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	55. Chapter 55

"So, you're Sam and Tucker and Jazz huh?" Kid Flash commented, the explosions from the fight becoming fainter as they walked. The trio nodded.

"Danny's told us a lot about you guys," Kid Flash informed them with a smile.

"Better be good things," Jazz growled, giving her brother a glare. He frowned in confusion and Jazz recalled that he couldn't hear her. She groaned. Kid Flash nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry. He did mention that you trapped him in a thermos for six hours once though," Kid Flash assured them. Tucker laughed.

"Never gets old!" he exclaimed. Danny scowled.

"Would you guys focus? I can't hear very well, and even I heard that Tuck," Danny reprimanded them.

"Sorry Danny," Sam interjected, knowing that he was right but the halfa didn't seem to have heard her.

"I really hope that his hearing is only temporary," Jazz muttered with concern. They all gave Danny a worried look that he thankfully didn't see. Danny followed Robin's directions, mentally listening to any warnings Superboy, Artemis and Aqualad telepathically gave him for his duplicate. He had to consciously tell the duplicate what to do and split his focus. If he wasn't in visual range, he had to use the duplicate's own vision to fight. Luckily he wasn't in a fight himself and so he could focus on his copy.

"So, how long has Danny been teleporting? He never told us he learnt to do it," Tucker inquired.

"What do you mean?" Kid Flash asked confused.

"Back there, Danny teleported to protect us. He learnt that with you guys right?" Sam elaborated. Kid Flash blinked.

"We don't know what Danny can do. He hasn't told us and he's not been comfortable enough to change to show us yet," Kid Flash answered.

"Could you ask him?" Jazz requested. Kid Flash shrugged.

"_Hey Danny, how long have you been teleporting? Your friends and Jazz are asking_," Kid Flash called telepathically.

Danny glanced at them.

"Just figured it out," he answered.

"Wait! What!?" Sam exclaimed. Danny smirked, having heard her.

"That was the first time. But it felt a lot like the Zeta tubes," Danny replied with a nod to Kid Flash. The speedster blinked in surprise.

"No way," he gasped.

"_You just learned that during that crisis_?!" Kid Flash inquired in disbelief. Danny nodded.

"I told you. And Luthor. My powers are often instinctual. The first time I activate my powers can be by accident. I need to be in a position where I have no choice but to let my powers take over and try. Like when I activated my ghostly wail. I was cornered and surrounded by enemies. I was bound by ghost energy I couldn't break. To protect myself, my powers took over and my shout turned into a wail," Danny explained.

"Since you mention that, what did that guy mean about you using your wail during experimentation?" Sam asked. Danny turned to Kid Flash.

"I hate being the middle man," Kid Flash grumbled.

"_They're asking about what Luthor said about you using your ghostly wail during experimentation_," Kid Flash relayed. Danny frowned and looked away.

"That's not a nice memory guys. I explained what happened," Danny muttered. Jazz blinked before touching her brother's shoulder.

"Danny, talk to us. What happened?" Jazz requested. Danny didn't need to hear his sister to know what she would be asking. He gently shrugged off her hand.

"We should focus on getting out of here," he retorted. Jazz scowled.

"Grr, why does he always do that?!" Jazz exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Kid Flash inquired. Jazz huffed and turned to the speedster.

"Danny's stubborn. He refuses to talk to me about stuff that's bothering him. He wouldn't even tell me he was half-ghost! He has to talk about these things," Jazz explained, unknowingly talking at a level that Danny could hear and vaguely understand. Sam and Tucker nodded.

"He's been through a lot of things Kid Flash. And he rarely talks about them if he thinks it would upset us to know. To this day, we don't know what happened between him and the Ghost King," Sam informed the speedster.

"Yeah, as well as a few other things that we don't feel comfortable sharing without Danny's say so," Tucker added. Kid Flash blinked and glanced at Danny. The halfa was trying to push away his guilt. He didn't want to worry his friends and sister.

They arrived at the door Danny's parents had been taken through. Robin gave a quick telepathic confirmation.

"Wait here, I'll check it out first," Danny whispered. Team Phantom nodded obediently. Kid Flash decided to trust their judgement on what Danny was and wasn't capable of. Danny turned invisible and phased through the door. He saw his parents bound and caged in an anti-ghost cage. He frowned. It was a lot larger than the one he'd had at the beginning of his imprisonment. He checked for any guards but saw none.

He crept closer to his parents. He heard his mother crying.

"Calm down Maddie. We have to stay focused if we're gonna get out of here," Jack muttered, unheard by his deaf and invisible son.

"My babies! Jack they're going to kill Jazz and hurt Danny! That noise! My poor baby!" Maddie sobbed helplessly. Hearing his mother's distraught sobs, and seeing no guards around, Danny turned himself visible. Jack gasped.

"Danny!" he called softly. Danny frowned before rolling his eyes.

"Sorry dad, I'm kind of deaf right now. Hold on, I'll get you out of there. Jazz, Sam and Tucker are fine though," Danny informed them.

"_Coast is clear Wally_," Danny told the speedster.

The door opened and the four other teens rushed in. Maddie called to her daughter and hugged her through the bars. Danny examined the lock, not hearing Maddie's calls for him to come over to her. He scowled and touched the lock. He cried out as it shocked him.

"Stupid ecto-ranium," he hissed as he fanned his throbbing hand.

"Son! Are you alright!?" Jack shouted. Danny looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sam, think you can pick it?" Danny replied. Kid Flash edged over to Danny and gave him a concerned look.

"_I'm fine Wally. Just like getting an electrical shock. Just a little stronger_," Danny assured the speedster. Kid Flash gave a slight nod.

Sam knelt down beside the lock and pulled a hairpin out of her hair. She always kept one on her. She got to work picking the lock. Danny focused back on his duplicate, having had a lapse in concentration due to the shock, thankfully not enough to cause the duplicate to fail. Eventually, Sam managed to pick the lock.

"Wow, that was a hard one," she commented as she swung the door open. Maddie rushed out of the cage and pulled Danny into a tearful hug, Jazz having untied the rope through the bars, Tucker doing the same for Jack. Having not been paying attention, Danny cried out in surprise. He realised it was his mother holding him and gave her a reassuring pat before extracting himself. He gave her a comforting smile.

"_Rob, what way is the exit_?" Danny inquired.

"_Okay, you turn left out of that room, take the first right, then the second left and then the fourth left and you'll see a fire door. Opening it will trigger the alarms and sprinklers but that doesn't matter. But wait until I give you the go ahead to open it. The alarm might put pressure on the rest of us_," Robin explained.

"_Alright. Thanks_," Danny replied.

**So Danny and Wally are with Danny's loved ones. **

**But will they escape the Guys in White complex?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	56. Chapter 56

Danny and Kid Flash led the way through the complex to the exit Robin found for them. Kid Flash being their ears and Danny being their eyes. However as they walked his ghost sense went off. He paused and looked to the door beside him.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Maddie asked, forgetting that he couldn't hear her.

"_Rob, what's in the room next to me_?" Danny inquired.

"_Hold on. Raquel, take your next left and wait for a sec. Okay, Danny. Er… lab. With creatures?_" Robin answered. Danny scowled.

"_Danny, what's wrong_?" Kid Flash prompted.

"Ghosts," Danny growled and kicked open the door.

"Danny!?" Kid Flash exclaimed. Danny took in the room and saw a dozen low level ghosts in cramped cages.

"_Wally, be my ears. Really don't want these guys to know I have a weakness_," Danny ordered. Kid Flash blinked in surprise and nodded.

"Ghost boy?!" a few of the ghosts called in disbelief. Kid Flash repeated what the ghosts said over the mind link.

"That's right. I've got a deal for you," Danny replied. The ghosts stared at him as he walked confidently over to the cages and scanned the locks.

"How 'bout getting some pay back on the Guys in White?" Danny suggested. The ghosts grinned.

"Sounds good halfa. What's in it for you though?" one of the ghosts retorted and Kid Flash repeated it over the mind link. Danny shrugged.

"I don't know. A distraction while I get out of here. The happy feeling that you lot won't get ripped apart. Maybe having a bunch of ghosts that owe me one. Take your pick," Danny answered. The ghosts shared looks and then turned to him.

"Look kid, the door's lined with ecto-ranium. How are you going to get it open?" another ghost inquired and Kid Flash relayed the question. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"You're doubting me. I seem to remember a lot of ghosts saying it was impossible to beat Pariah Dark," Danny commented. The ghosts nodded, conceding the point.

Danny charged his hand with energy.

"Back up. I'll try this first," Danny warned. The ghosts complied and Danny fired. The energy hit the lock and fried it but also sent sparks back into the cage, hitting the ghost inside. The ghost yelped and glared at Danny. Danny glared right back and nodded encouragingly. The ghost pushed the door and it swung open.

"Alright then. Attack me or my friends and you'll wish you were in Walker's prison. Only the Guys in White and the people that look like ninjas. Understood?" Danny told the ghosts.

"Understood," the ghosts chorused and Kid Flash informed Danny of their agreement. Danny then blasted the rest of the cages.

The ghosts surged out of the room together.

"_Heads up. You're about to get some ghostly back up. If they start to attack you, tell them you're Phantom's friend. Should stop them_," Danny announced over the mind link.

"_How did you manage that_?!" Artemis asked.

"_Easy really. I made a deal. Freedom and a chance for pay back, for safe passage and maybe a little respect_," Danny answered. He turned to Kid Flash.

"Thanks. I really didn't want them to know I'm practically deaf. I'd never hear the end of it," Danny remarked with a small smirk. Kid Flash grinned.

"Hey, you got us some extra back up. Besides it wasn't a big deal," Kid Flash replied, forgetting that Danny couldn't hear for a moment. Danny frowned in confusion and tapped his ear. Kid Flash groaned and repeated himself over the mind link. Danny nodded.

"We should keep going," Danny told the group.

Danny's loved ones watched Danny with surprise but said nothing. It didn't take long before they reached the fire door Robin directed them to.

"I'm sorry. But how do you know where you're going?" Jack inquired. Danny frowned in irritation, getting annoyed at being unable to hear everyone unless they shouted. He didn't like taking over the mind link just to talk to his family and friends. The team needed the mind link for the mission. So Danny let Kid Flash take over the conversation and closed his eyes and focused completely on his duplicate. It wasn't doing too well. The fight had gotten even more vicious. The ghosts arrived to even up the numbers but a good number of Guys in White agents had arrived too. He was barely holding on to his duplicate. Artemis was running out of arrows and Aqualad was starting to tire. Superboy was still going strong but without the others he'd easily be overwhelmed.

Kid Flash glanced at Danny before turning to his loved ones.

"We have a telepath on the team. She linked us all up telepathically. That's how I've been talking to Danny even though he's deaf. One of our team is in the control room and he's co-ordinating everyone," Kid Flash answered. The adults nodded in understanding to the speedster before noticing their son.

"Danny?" Maddie called worriedly.

"Hang on," Kid Flash interjected.

"_Danny, is something up_?" Kid Flash inquired. Danny shook his head without opening his eyes.

"_Just focusing on my duplicate. Is it important_?" Danny replied.

"_No. I think your parents are just worried, that's all_," Kid Flash informed him. He turned to Maddie.

"He's fine. Just focusing on his duplicate," Kid Flash relayed.

"He's still got that duplicate going?!" Tucker exclaimed. Kid Flash nodded.

"I guess," Kid Flash replied.

"But how? If he can't hear and he's here, how is he controlling it?" Sam asked.

"Members of my team have been giving him warnings over the mind link the whole time. He wanted to keep it going to give them a better chance against those guards," Kid Flash explained.

"Danny can duplicate his form!?" Jack exclaimed. Jazz, Sam and Tucker nodded.

"Yeah, took him ages to figure it out," Tucker answered.

"So, he had to learn to duplicate. It wasn't like his ghost ray and wail and so on," Kid Flash realised out. Sam and Tucker shook their heads.

"No. If only. He was practicing for months," Sam confirmed.

"Yeah, remember that time he tried to duplicate and ended up with two heads?" Tucker recalled with a smirk.

"How could I forget? And then the cyclops eye when he reverted without merging back together," Sam retorted. Tucker chuckled.

"I'm still surprise Danny never got me back for hitting him," Tucker remarked.

"Probably didn't bother since it fixed the problem," Sam mentioned. Tucker hummed in agreement.

"That's amazing! What else can he do?!" Jack boomed excitedly.

"Dad, maybe we should keep it down," Jazz interjected. Kid Flash blinked before he blushed.

"Yeah. This can wait," Kid Flash agreed with regret, despite his interest in what Danny could do. Danny suddenly gasped and held his head and opened bleary eyes.

"Ow," he muttered. Everyone turned to him.

"Danny?! What's wrong?!" Maddie exclaimed, rushing to her son's side. Danny blinked and shook his head.

"Uh, I'm fine. Duplicate just failed. Since most of my focus was on it, it was a shock. Headache," Danny explained and rubbed his temple as a splitting headache came on.

"You sure?" Kid Flash asked. Danny scowled at him and tapped his ear. Kid Flash rolled his eyes.

"_You sure_?" Kid Flash repeated telepathically. Danny nodded.

"Like I said, it's because I was focusing on it so much. Usually my focus is split evenly and it doesn't hurt or anything when it's destroyed. I lose energy, but that's it. But it wasn't 50:50 this time. It was more 25:75. So I was more linked and in tune," Danny explained and noticed the number of confused faces. He smirked.

"It's nothing. Just a headache," Danny concluded.

Maddie backed away from her son but kept a close eye on him.

"But that'll clear up the mind link a lot," Danny remarked. Kid Flash nodded in agreement.

"_Wally, Danny. Ready to go_?" Robin asked.

"_Yep. Give the word_," Kid Flash answered.

"_Zatanna, M'gann, Raquel. You ready with Icon and Plastic Man_?" Robin inquired.

"_Yeah Rob_," Zatanna confirmed.

"_Alright. Artemis, Kaldur, Conner be ready. Now_!" Robin announced. Danny and Kid Flash pushed open the doors.

"Go," Kid Flash ordered Danny's loved ones as the fire alarm began and the sprinklers activated. They blinked in surprise and ran out into the weak afternoon sunlight. Danny jumped into the air and Kid Flash ran with the others.

**Not a very exciting chapter I'll admit but we did get to see Danny freeing some ghostly captives.**

**Also Danny's loved ones, but more so his parents, are learning about what Danny is capable of.**

**But will everyone get back to the Bioship without any issues?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	57. Chapter 57

As they ran, they were shot at by anti-ghost weapons. Danny scowled and fired at the Guys in White and formed shields around the others when necessary. Eventually they made it to the Bioship. Miss Martian opened the ship and levitated the still unconscious Leaguers inside. Kid Flash ushered Danny's loved ones on board as Danny took over cover fire. Rocket and Zatanna ran into the Bioship. Robin appeared soon afterwards.

"Danny! You should be on the Bioship!" Robin shouted, just loud enough for Danny to hear.

"Go, I'll catch up. I'll hold these guys off," Danny replied distractedly and then spotted Artemis, Superboy and Aqualad racing to them. Artemis was covering the boys with her dwindling quiver of arrows.

Danny frowned with determination and floated up higher and made himself more of a target. The chasing Guys in White agents spotted him and directed their shots at him. Artemis blinked in surprise and spotted Danny covering them with his ghost rays and shields.

"Go!" Danny roared. Robin hesitated but obeyed. Aqualad, exhausted, ran onto the ship without question. Superboy paused underneath the halfa as Artemis ran on board, unable to help due to her lack of ammunition.

"Superboy, I can fly," Danny reminded the clone without looking. Superboy nodded and ran up the ramp.

"_Danny!? We're ready to go,_" Miss Martian called to him.

"_Go. I'll follow_," Danny replied. Miss Martian bit her lip before complying uneasily.

"Wait! What about Danny!?" Sam exclaimed.

"He said to go. He'll follow," Miss Martian informed her. Danny charged his hands and fired his ghost rays at the Guys in White. Once he saw the Bioship get out of range, he turned to the Guys in White and flashed his bright green eyes threateningly.

"I'll say this one more time. Leave my family and friends alone! And that goes double for the Light!" Danny yelled at the top of his lungs. His eyes switched to his ghostly blue and he unleashed a pulse of ice energy over the crowd of agents and assassins. They were coated in a thin layer of frost. Not lethal but enough to force them to stop. Danny scanned the area and then spotted a retreating helicopter. He glared at it and fired a strong ghost ray at it. He knew it wouldn't hit but it was more a message than anything.

With that done, Danny turned invisible and flew at top speed after the Bioship and phased inside. He turned visible startling many of the occupants. He gave everyone a tired smile before slumping down in a spare seat M'gann provided for him through her mental link to her ship.

"Well, I think I gave them a reason to not go after you guys again," Danny remarked as he smiled reassuringly at his loved ones.

"Really? What did you do dude?" Tucker asked. Danny sighed and tapped his ear.

"Right. Can't hear. Can someone please use that mind link thing?" Sam requested. M'gann was kind enough to relay the question.

"Fired a shot at Luthor and covered the rest in ice. No one got hurt but call it a display of power. So hopefully, that'll warn them off," Danny answered.

Danny then took out his Fenton phone and pulled out his thermos and reverted to human. He slipped the earpiece in his pocket and then tapped a couple of buttons on the thermos before activating it and letting Cujo out. Cujo looked around in confusion before yapping at Danny and jumped on to his lap. Danny chuckled and put the dog on the floor.

"Cujo! Cujo!" Danny called to get the dog's attention and clicked his fingers but it was clear the dog couldn't hear as the puppy explored the Bioship. Danny sighed.

"I really hope this isn't permanent," he muttered. Before jumping to his feet and grabbing Cujo as the dog attempted to leave an invisible present for the team. Sam and Tucker laughed.

"You really need to train him Danny," Sam laughed.

"What do you mean?" Zatanna asked with confusion. Sam frowned as she realised that Danny hadn't heard her.

"Tell Danny what I said, and I'll bet he'll explain," Sam requested. Zatanna rolled her eyes but complied using the mind link. Danny looked up and scowled at Sam.

"He's not my dog Sam. It's not my job to house train him," Danny replied. M'gann frowned and then offered to relay everything being said to Danny and broke the mental link to everyone but Danny.

"I don't understand. How do you know this dog?" Maddie inquired. Danny sighed after M'gann told him what his mother said.

"Remember how Damon Gray lost his job? A teen and a monstrous dog charged through the lab and wrecked it during an inspection," Danny began. Jack and Maddie nodded in confused remembrance.

"Guilty," Danny concluded and waved.

"Wait, you lost Damon his job?!" Jack exclaimed. M'gann relayed the comment. Danny scowled.

"Not exactly. I was chasing Cujo. He just wanted to get his toy back. It was just a huge misunderstanding, but Cujo wouldn't take no for an answer and I couldn't really stop him. He's super strong. So when he ran through the lab, I was trying to stop him and the security system wasn't built for ghosts," Danny explained ending with a helpless shrug. Maddie and Jack frowned at him.

"What!? It's not my fault they never trained Cujo properly. He only listens to me when he feels like it," Danny exclaimed defensively.

"In fairness, Mr and Mrs Fenton, Danny's telling the truth. Cujo isn't easy to control. Especially when he's in his adult angry form," Sam interjected. M'gann relayed the comment to Danny. Danny smiled gratefully to the Goth.

"He has a second form?" Jack inquired. Everyone but Jack, Maddie, Raquel and Jazz nodded, Danny joining in slightly later than everyone else due to his deafness. Raquel was at the back of the Bioship tending to Icon and Plastic Man and so wasn't part of the conversation.

"Can we see it?" Maddie requested. The team and Sam and Tucker started to make excuses.

"Not a good idea mom. He gets a lot bigger and harder to control. Besides, I don't know how to even get him to change since he can't hear right now," Danny interjected, his muffled hearing allowing him to hear that everyone was talking.

"It seems that Cujo is completely deaf. How is it that Danny can hear loud noises still?" Kaldur remarked. M'gann relayed the observation to Danny telepathically.

"Oh, that's easy. Fenton phone. It must have protected me a little. I can only hear really loud sounds in my left ear. My right is completely deaf. Cujo didn't have any protection," Danny explained and gave the green puppy a sad look. The puppy yawned and settled down in Danny lap, as he sat down on the ground with the dog to prevent him running off and doing his business. Danny smirked as the dog seemed to fall asleep.

"What was that noise?" Jazz asked. Danny looked up a moment later after M'gann relayed the question.

"It's a frequency that hurts ghosts. I think the scientist said something about vibrating ectoplasm or something. I wasn't really paying attention at the time. But it really hurts and that time it was really loud," Danny answered. Jazz frowned.

"You weren't paying attention?" Jazz repeated. Danny sighed after M'gann repeated the comment.

"It's kind of hard to listen when you're in agony Jazz. And it's even harder when you've been drugged," Danny retorted. Jazz bit her lip guiltily and the Bioship fell uncomfortably silent.

"They learned about that frequency because of me," Danny added as he frowned sadly at Cujo, blaming himself for the dog's deaf state.

"I'm sorry Danny," Jazz whispered miserably. Danny gave a grunt after M'gann told him what his sister said.

"You didn't know Jazz. It's fine," Danny mumbled after a moment of thought before sighing.

"Is it weird being deaf? I mean you can't hear yourself talking can you?" Tucker asked, deciding to break the awkwardness. Danny looked up and nodded, knowing what Tucker said thanks to M'gann.

"Yeah, I can't hear what I'm saying. So if I'm a little loud, sorry. And it's more annoying than anything else. It's like when your ears pop. Everything's muffled and I can see you talking but I don't know what you're saying," Danny answered. Tucker nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, you can duplicate? And ice powers? What else?" Jack inquired excitedly. M'gann relayed the question. Danny chuckled.

"I can do a lot actually. Duplicating took the longest to get right and even now I'm still working on it. I can make four before things get confusing. Flight, invisibility, intangibility. The standard. I have a ghost sense which is linked to my ice powers. That came in when Undergrowth attacked. Ghostly wail. Overshadowing. Telekinesis but I've only started with that one. Body manipulation, you've seen that. Ghost strength. I have fast healing, not sure how long I've had that one. Only noticed it because I hurt my foot badly. Ghost ray. I teleported for the first time back there. I think that's it. Sam, Tuck… did I miss one?" Danny listed, using his fingers. His friends shook their heads after a moment of thought.

"Wow!" Wally exclaimed.

"You have telekinesis too!" Zatanna pointed out with surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us you could do that stuff?" Artemis asked. M'gann frowned and relayed the questions as quickly as possible. Danny smirked.

"I didn't tell you guys because I wasn't sure I could still do all that stuff. And my telekinesis is very limited. Like I said, it's relatively new to me. I only learnt it because Pandora showed me. She did offer to train me but that wasn't a lot before I got caught," Danny replied. The conversation then progressed into Danny explaining how his powers worked to his parents and the team.

**Everyone is safe and sound once again. Whew.**

**Although, the team and Danny have to go back to the cave and face Batman. **

**How angry do you think Batman will be?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	58. Chapter 58

The Bioship landed in Mount Justice. Danny's family and friends had been returned home. Danny decided to keep Cujo with him until he was sure the dog wasn't permanently deaf. Unable to hear, the ghost wouldn't be able to protect himself. The team plus Danny left the Bioship to find Batman and Black Canary glaring at Danny. He smiled nervously and waved to them.

"Hey. I'm in trouble aren't I?" Danny remarked, holding Cujo in one arm. The dog cocked his head at the heroes and growled uncertainly. Conner offered to take the dog for Danny with a hand gesture. Danny shrugged and allowed the clone to take the ghost dog. Conner then began to calm the dog down by stroking it. Cujo whined nervously but didn't try to attack or escape.

Danny walked right up to the heroes. Robin and Kaldur shared a look before joining the halfa.

"Explain!" Batman ordered. Robin and Kaldur explained that Danny stowed away and helped on the mission hurriedly, Danny remaining silent unable to follow the story. Black Canary watched Danny and was surprised to see that the halfa wasn't scared or tense. Batman then turned to Danny.

"Do you realise how worried we've been?!" the caped crusader growled. Danny glanced at Robin and Kaldur, trying to gauge how he should respond.

"Danny?! Answer me?" Batman shouted. Danny heard that demand and sighed.

"Um, I haven't really heard everything Batman. I'm almost completely deaf. I heard you just now, but not much else," Danny admitted.

Black Canary's eyes widened in worry.

"What!? How?" she demanded. Batman's anger lessened slightly. He was still furious at Danny for running off without saying a word but he was more concerned right now. Besides, he needed Danny to be able to hear in order to be scolded. Danny frowned, not hearing Black Canary. Kaldur tentatively raised a hand.

"If I may. There's a particular frequency that hurts ghosts. During our rescue of both Icon and Plastic Man as well as Danny's family and friends, he was subjected to the frequency. He and Cujo," Kaldur explained, motioning to the nervous green ghost dog in Conner's arms.

"Both are unable to hear. Danny was wearing a device at the time which protected him to a degree and can partially hear in his left ear, but his right is completely deaf," Kaldur resumed.

"But Danny was a great help during the rescue. Honest. He and the other halfa. Vlad Plasmius. If it weren't for Danny, the mission mightn't have been a success," Robin interjected. Batman raised an eyebrow. The rest of the team called out to the dark knight, assuring him that Robin was telling the truth. Batman looked to Danny, who was frowning in confusion at the exchange. Batman sighed.

"Danny, go to the medical facility. Red Tornado will be along shortly," Batman ordered. Danny blinked at the hero. He knew that Batman had said something specifically to him but he couldn't tell what. M'gann stepped forward.

"Sorry, let me," she murmured and her eyes flashed green as she linked up with the halfa and relayed the command. Danny nodded.

"Sure. Want me to take Cujo with me? If he gets angry, I'll probably be the only one able to calm him down," Danny offered. Batman blinked in confusion as Conner handed the green dog to the halfa. Danny smiled gratefully and the dog instantly relaxed. Batman stared at the dog as the deafened duo left the hanger.

Batman shook his head and turned to the team.

"For how much of the mission was Danny effectively deaf?" Batman inquired.

"Quite a bit of it, actually," Kaldur admitted.

"And we didn't know he came with us. We were already in Amity Park before we knew he was with us," Wally interjected. Artemis elbowed the speedster in the ribs.

"Shut up," she hissed. Batman turned to Robin. Robin shrugged.

"Sorry Batman, I was included in that. He revealed himself to us. And he helped from start to finish like we said. He got Cujo to follow Jazz's scent. Vlad Plasmius told Danny to go along with whatever Luthor said. So Danny volunteered to be a distraction while we infiltrated. It went a little wrong then because Luthor figured out that Danny wasn't going to agree to his offer and turned on the frequency," Robin recounted, now more relaxed.

"Yes, but Danny fought well and even held off our pursuers single-handedly so that the Bioship could take off safely," Kaldur added. Batman glanced at Black Canary.

"How was Danny during the mission?" she asked. The team glanced at each other before turning back to her.

"He was fine. Didn't feel a chill once," Wally answered.

"And Wally was with Danny the longest," Zatanna mentioned. The two adults frowned and silently agreed to have a proper discussion and hear the story from Danny later.

"Very well, we'll debrief you once we assess Danny's condition," Black Canary decided, dismissing them. Batman then turned on his heel to inform Red Tornado that Danny required medical attention as well as Icon and Plastic Man.

Black Canary then went to find Danielle and join Danny in the medical facility to try and make her own assessment of his mental condition. M'gann levitated Icon and Plastic Man into the medical facility and Raquel sat beside her mentor. She looked over to Danny as he waited for Red Tornado. Raquel felt sorry for the halfa. He could potentially be deaf for the rest of his life. He looked up from Cujo and smirked at her, seeing her looking at him.

"How's Icon?" he asked and pointed to a pen and notepad beside her. Raquel blinked and smiled, understanding instantly.

"I dunno. He's strong though so hopefully he'll wake up soon. What about you?" Raquel wrote down and passed it to him. He read the message before shrugging and handing the pad back to her.

"Good to hear… er read that Icon'll be alright," Danny remarked. Raquel giggled at Danny's amendment. He smiled at her.

"And I'm fine. I'm more worried about Cujo. He's a dog. He can't read or understand facial expressions as easily as I can. And the Ghost Zone can be dangerous. I do feel responsible for him right now," Danny admitted.

Raquel blinked at the halfa before looking at the green puppy Danny was stroking. She scribbled another message.

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have known about Luthor using that frequency," Raquel attempted to reason. Danny shook his head once he read the page.

"But it is my fault Raquel. I'm the one that took Cujo into that complex. I'm the one they learned about that frequency from. I can live with those things coming back to bite me, but not anyone else," Danny retorted. Raquel frowned at Danny before she looked up as Red Tornado, Black Canary and Danielle entered.

**What will Red Tornado say? Will Danny's hearing come back?**

**Will the android be able to help Cujo?**

**What will Batman and Black Canary do now that Danny is back in the cave?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	59. Chapter 59

Danny saw that something drew Raquel's attention and smiled as he saw who came in. Danielle looked furious with him. She opened her mouth to yell at him before she noticed what Danny was holding.

"Is that a puppy?" she squealed in delight. Danny looked down, seeing what Danielle was looking at, only hearing her tone of voice rather than what she was actually saying.

"Oh, this is Cujo. Come meet him, but he's a little nervous right now since he can't hear," Danny warned her as he nudged the dog gently. Cujo looked up and spotted Danielle. She grinned and held a hand out to the dog. He sniffed her hand before licking her palm and wagging his tail.

"He likes me!" Danielle exclaimed.

Red Tornado decided to check on Plastic Man and Icon while Danielle met Cujo. Raquel saw Danny's confusion and she wrote down what Danielle said for him and held the page up. She waved her arms and caught Danny's attention. He read the page and smiled gratefully.

"Makes sense Dani, you're my clone. Cujo's been annoying me for years. Sam reckons he took a liking to me because I was the only ghost around and I helped him find his favourite toy. I'm glad he likes you though. Means you can keep an eye on him too. Fair warning, don't make him angry and he's not exactly house broken," Danny replied. Danielle frowned.

"What happens when he gets angry?" Danielle asked.

"He grows into a monster," Raquel answered. Danielle turned to the girl and smirked.

"Sure. Now tell me what actually happens," Danielle retorted.

"No. That's what happens. Cujo got angry at Vlad and Danny had to stop him from attacking the guy," Raquel replied.

"Vlad?!" Danielle yelled fearfully. Danny buried his face in his free hand.

"Why did you bring up Vlad?!" Danny groaned. Raquel scowled.

"It's not my fault that you guys have the weirdest relationship ever," Raquel retorted before noticing that Danny hadn't heard her. Raquel huffed in annoyance.

"Danny's right. Him being deaf is annoying," Raquel muttered. Black Canary blinked and looked at the girl.

"Danny said that," Black Canary prompted, as Danny sat up. Danielle was looking around nervously. Raquel nodded.

"Tucker asked him what it's like and M'gann told Danny what he said. Danny said it's more annoying than anything else," Raquel informed her.

"Dani, calm down. Vlad's not here. He ditched before things got dangerous. And if he does come looking for trouble, you know I'm right here, okay," Danny reassured his clone, seeing that no one else was doing it. Danielle looked at him and nodded slowly.

"Ri-right. You're right. He can't hurt me anymore anyway," Danielle muttered. Danny smiled cautiously.

"I'm going to hope that you just agreed with me," Danny remarked. Danielle looked at him before smiling and nodding.

"I keep forgetting that he's deaf," Danielle mumbled. Black Canary hummed in agreement.

"I suppose the fact that he's only talking a little louder than usual doesn't help that. Raquel, did Danny say if he can hear himself talking at all?" Black Canary asked. Raquel nodded.

"He said he couldn't. He described it like his ears were popped. Everything's muffled and he can't make out what we're saying," Raquel recalled.

Red Tornado stood up straight having examined Icon and Plastic Man.

"Well, they seem to just be sedated with a special knock out gas created to combat Icon's unique physical make up. They should wake up within a few hours, certainly by tomorrow morning," Red Tornado decided.

"So they're gonna be alright?" Raquel inquired. Red Tornado nodded.

"I'm sure that there will be very few side-effects and any present should be easy enough to rectify once they awaken," Red Tornado confirmed. Raquel smiled relieved.

"Good news?" Danny called hopefully. Everyone turned to him and Raquel and Black Canary nodded to him. He smiled.

"Glad to hear that... Man, there are too many hearing sayings," Danny muttered with a shake of his head.

Black Canary laughed.

"I'm glad to see that his humour hasn't been affected," Black Canary remarked.

"Ugh, he's been spouting hearing puns since we flew his family home," Raquel retorted. Red Tornado approached Danny and examined his ears. The android hummed thoughtfully.

"I'm afraid Danny's right eardrum has completely ruptured and his left is severely damaged," Red Tornado announced.

"Will it heal?" Raquel inquired.

"Normally, a ruptured ear drum such as Danny's is not possible to heal. But Danny has rapid and extraordinary healing capabilities. I can't say for sure that his hearing will not return. But it will take time," Red Tornado answered. Danielle frowned sympathetically at her cousin and he scanned their faces.

"It's permanent isn't it? Red Tornado, mind checking Cujo too? Just in case his isn't. I did get him into a thermos, he might have been protected a little," Danny requested. Red Tornado gently examined Cujo's ears before being unable to make an assessment. He studied human anatomy, not ghost or dog anatomy.

"By the way, Danny your hearing mightn't be permanent," Danielle interjected. Danny was still waiting for news on Cujo. The female halfa growled in annoyance. Raquel handed Danny a page with Red Tornado's findings scribbled on it. Danny read it and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so Cujo might or might not be deaf permanently and I'm probably deaf. Great," Danny grumbled and handed the notepad to Raquel. Danny then frowned thoughtfully.

"You know, this might be a good thing for ghost hunting actually. Ember won't be able to hypnotise me no matter what and I can just ignore Walker when he's being annoying. Will be a pain with Wulf though," Danny remarked. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

She asked for the notepad.

"This is a good thing?" she wrote and showed it to Danny.

"Well, I'd prefer to be able to hear. I'm just as annoyed by not hearing you guys as you probably are if not more so. But if I don't find an up side, I'll just get angry. And I'm not lying that not hearing is an advantage for fighting Ember. And I won't be able to hear Technus go on and on and on about his stupid plans. True I won't know what he's up to until someone tells me, but hey. And the Box Ghost and his weak box puns. Ugh!" Danny replied. The girls laughed.

**Positive Mental Outlook. **

**I'm always being told to have one and I do try. But kind of good news… sorta…**

**Until the next chapter.**


	60. Chapter 60

Garfield walked into the hanger and saw the team was back.

"Hey guys, how did the mission go?" Garfield greeted them. Artemis looked up from her quiver and Wally swallowed his mouthful of energy bar.

"Hey Gar, mission successful," Robin answered with a smile. Garfield smiled.

"Good. Now you guys can help us look for Danny. I'm guessing he didn't tag along with you since Batman isn't yelling at him," Garfield commented with a slight worried frown.

"You didn't hear? Danny did stow away on the Bioship. He's in the medical facility right now," Conner informed the boy, looking up from Wolf who was enjoying a belly rub. Garfield's eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh no! Did he get overwhelmed like last time?" Garfield exclaimed.

M'gann approached her adopted brother and shook her head.

"No, he was fine on the mission. But he's deaf right now. Him and a ghost dog called Cujo Danny enlisted help from," M'gann explained. Garfield gave a sigh of relief.

"Is… is it permanent?" Garfield asked. The team shared looks before shrugging.

"We don't know yet. That's why Danny's in the medical facility," Kaldur answered.

Artemis huffed and got to her feet.

"I'm going to be up all night restocking. The only arrows I have left are grappling arrows," Artemis complained. Wally put an arm around her shoulders.

"I'd help if you asked," he offered.

"Wally, you don't know how to make arrows," she reminded him. Wally shrugged. The archer smirked and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"But thanks for offering. It's sweet," she muttered. Garfield scanned the room.

"Where's Raquel?" he inquired.

"With Icon. He's unconscious in the medical facility," Zatanna told him. Garfield nodded and followed the team as they walked out of the hanger, Wolf trailing behind Conner.

"I hope Wolf and Cujo get along," Conner mumbled with a concerned frown at his pet. The team hummed in agreement.

"I just hope that Danny can keep Cujo under control even without voice commands," Zatanna added.

"Why? Is Cujo dangerous?" Garfield inquired. The team looked at him.

"If he gets angry, he is. But Danny was able to keep Cujo from attacking Vlad despite the guy insulting the dog," Artemis replied.

"Vlad?" Garfield repeated.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know. Vlad Plasmius. The halfa that was here last night remember?" M'gann interjected.

"You guys met him in Amity Park?" Garfield realised.

"Yeah, and he nearly killed Danny," Conner grumbled. Garfield blinked and stared at the clone.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"Vlad was angry and blamed Danny for Danny's family getting kidnapped. Started strangling him and we couldn't get closer because of three ghosts working for Vlad," Robin explained.

"Luckily, Danny changed his form and was able to get Vlad to stop by himself," Kaldur resumed.

"Yeah, about that. One second Danny didn't need to breathe and then the next he did. How did he do that?" Wally pointed out. The team paused and glanced at each other. They'd hadn't realised that at the time. Things had been stressful and they were just relieved that the halfa was alright.

"We'll ask him," Kaldur decided as they entered the kitchen. M'gann set to work on preparing some sandwiches for her worn out team mates. Moments later, Danny, Danielle, Cujo and Raquel entered. Cujo looked around and saw Wolf. He instantly tensed.

"Hey guys," Danny greeted them before frowning at Cujo. Wolf growled at Cujo.

"Uh oh. Conner, is Wolf growling at Cujo?" Danny asked and watched the clone nod.

"Crud," Danny muttered. Danny stroked Cujo reassuringly and picked him up.

"Wolf, it's alright. Cujo's a friend," Danny called soothingly. Wolf glanced at the halfa before glaring distrustfully at the ghost in his arms. Cujo must have sensed that Wolf was threatening him, as he started to growl back. Danny felt the dog's chest rumble beneath his fingers as he growled.

"Oh, great," Danny mumbled. He turned himself and Cujo invisible and Wolf blinked in surprise and stopped growling. He sniffed the air before scowling in confusion.

Danny then stroked Cujo reassuringly until the ghost stopped growling.

"Dani, hold your arms out and keep Cujo invisible for a second. Cujo is easily more dangerous than Wolf so I want him to understand that Wolf isn't a threat first," Danny called invisibly, startling some of the others in the room. Danielle complied and took Cujo, the green dog becoming visible for a split second as he changed hands. Danny then became visible. He walked over to Wolf and put a hand on the large white wolf's head.

"Nothing to worry about Wolf okay?" Danny muttered. Cujo grumbled softly as he saw his friend give Wolf attention but slowly he settled down. Cujo suddenly jumped out of Danielle's arms and walked cautiously over to the wolf, becoming visible. Danielle cried out but Danny didn't move.

He waited to see how Cujo would react. He placed a reassuring hand on Wolf's head and gestured for Conner to do the same. Cujo edged closer and sniffed Wolf before making his way over to Danny. Wolf watched the green dog suspiciously and sniffed the ghost. Gradually Wolf relaxed and Cujo stood nervously beside Danny and considered the wolf.

Danny then put a hand on the puppy's back and gave him a reassuring stroke and the tension between the canines reduced. Danny smirked and then backed away from Wolf and Cujo.

"Well, I don't think they're going to attack each other now. But we should stay on our toes," Danny decided.

"Wow, Danny that was amazing!" Garfield complimented, forgetting that Danny was deaf. He frowned. M'gann sighed.

"Gar, Danny didn't hear you. Maybe we should use the mind link so that we avoid this for the moment," M'gann suggested. Kaldur looked over to the Martian and nodded.

"Good idea M'gann," he agreed.

**So the next chapter is a little bit like a catch up chapter for the teens.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	61. Chapter 61

M'gann's eyes glowed green and she connected everyone in the room to a mental link. Danielle hissed in discomfort.

"Ow," she complained.

"_Sorry Danielle. The first time is always a bit painful. But you'll be used to it in minutes_," M'gann apologised over the mind link.

"_Huh? What's with the mind link_?" Danny inquired.

"_Well, since you can't hear us, we thought we could communicate using this for the time being_," Kaldur answered. Danny nodded.

"_Oh, makes sense. Did I miss much before you set this up_?" Danny replied.

"_I said that you calming down Wolf and Cujo was amazing_," Garfield interjected. Danny smirked.

"_Not really. I just know that Cujo's really protective. He was a guard dog before he died. So showing him that Wolf is a friend… I kinda figured that it would help_," Danny retorted.

"_Er… so you just think what to say_?" Danielle asked.

"_Yep_," a number of the team answered.

"_So Danny, is your deafness permanent_?" Wally inquired. Danny shrugged.

"_No way to be sure. RT said that normally the damage done is irreversible but since I heal faster than normal people there's a chance I could get my hearing back. He didn't know about Cujo though because he doesn't know dog anatomy or ghost anatomy_," Danny replied.

"_I'm sorry Danny. If I had been faster at directing team beta, they might have reached you before Luthor turned on that frequency_," Robin apologised. Danny shook his head.

"_I doubt it Rob. The second things went wrong, Luthor would have turned it on anyway_," Danny retorted.

"_By the way Danny, when Vlad was strangling you. How did you get free_?" Artemis asked after a short pause.

"_Wait! Vlad was strangling you_?!" Danielle exclaimed. Danny sighed and subconsciously rubbed his neck, the bruises were already fading.

"_Yeah, he did. But you shouldn't be all that surprised Dani. I got free because I went ghost and shifted my presence on this plane_," Danny replied.

"_Huh_?" Danielle retorted. Danny smirked.

"_I learnt to do it when I got thrown into the bay during a ghost fight. As a ghost, I can shift my presence in the Real World. Jazz reckons that's how I can turn invisible, intangible and fly. I no longer follow the laws of physics because I shift my presence here to a degree that they have no hold over me. Most of that science stuff goes over my head. But it means that if I concentrate, I don't need to breathe while Phantom. So that's what I did to stop Vlad choking me. Of course once I returned my presence to this plane, I needed to breathe again but I got my point across_," Danny explained.

"_Can you teach me_?" Danielle requested. Danny shrugged.

"_Sure. First, change into your ghost form and try to force yourself to not breathe without holding your breath. It's hard to do consciously but practice makes perfect_," Danny instructed. Danielle nodded and changed into her ghost form and began to try the technique.

"_How's Icon and Plastic Man_?" Kaldur asked, glancing at Danielle with slight concern. Raquel nodded.

"_RT thinks they'll be fine. They were sedated with a drug designed to work on Icon. They'll wake up soon, RT says by tomorrow hopefully_" Raquel answered.

"_Dani, you're going blue. Take a breath_," Danny warned and the others turned to see Danielle's face going blue as she held her breath.

"_This is hard_," she complained.

"_Yeah, especially since you've never done it. I'll show you in a bit alright_," Danny offered.

"_Wait! Show!? You'd have to change_," Zatanna interjected. Danny smirked.

"_You mean, like this_?" Danny replied and in a flash of light changed into his ghost half and began to float with his legs crossed casually.

"_You don't have a problem changing now_?!" Garfield realised with a broad grin. Danny nodded.

"_Since when_?!" Wally demanded. Danny chuckled.

"_Last night. Don't tell Vlad that though_," Danny answered.

"_So he helped you_?" Robin inquired in confusion. Danny scowled in dislike.

"_He gave me a push. That's all. Admittedly a push I needed but he didn't know that_," Danny explained.

"_That's how he teaches_," Danielle mumbled, before realising what she said.

"_Ignore that_!" she yelped.

"_Dani, Vlad told them that he created you. It's okay_," Danny assured her. Danielle gave a sigh of relief before glancing at everyone.

"_I don't blame you for not wanting to share that though. The guy is horrible_," Artemis interjected. Danielle nodded.

"_Yeah. But he still made me_," she mumbled. Danny sighed and landed on the ground smoothly and crossed the room and gave his clone a hug.

"Dani that creep never deserved you for a daughter. No one here cares that he created you," Danny whispered in her ear so no one else would hear. Danielle smiled and hugged her cousin back.

"Thanks Danny," she whispered back but was unheard. Danielle drew back out of the hug and gave Danny a grateful smile. He nodded to her reassuringly before stepping beside her and floating casually in a sitting position.

"_There are seats Danny_," Raquel remarked gesturing to one close to her.

"_I know. But in ghost form, this is natural. I used to do this a lot. Don't mind me_," Danny replied.

Black Canary walked in and stared at Danny in shock.

"He changed," she pointed out.

"Yeah, he's says that he's been fine with changing since last night," Wally informed her. Black Canary blinked and turned to Danny as he waved at her.

"Hey Black Canary. I'm fine. Been able to do this since last night," Danny informed her, not having heard Wally explain that already. Black Canary smiled at the halfa, deciding not to inform him that he'd told her something she'd already been informed of. M'gann served the sandwiches and everyone raced to get a few before Wally ate them all.

Black Canary motioned for Danny to follow her and she led him into a quiet room with Batman. She handed him a page.

"We want you to explain what happened on the mission, including how it affected you emotionally," the page told him. Danny raised an eyebrow before he shrugged and reverted to human and sat in an empty seat opposite the two heroes.

"Okay, well I guess I should start with how I snuck on to the Bioship," Danny began.

**And cut to black. (I couldn't resist that one)**

**So how will the successful mission affect Danny and the team?**

**How will Danny and Danielle's lesson go?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	62. Chapter 62

A couple of hours later the teens, Garfield and Danielle were outside on the beach. Batman had gone to Amity Park to talk to Danny's family, both to inform them of Danny's potential life-long hearing disability and to explain how and why they were kidnapped. Black Canary was watching the children with interest as Danny prepared to teach Danielle how to shift her presence on the Real World plane. Kaldur volunteered to help. Danny decided that the best option was to try and teach Danielle under the same circumstances as he learned to shift his presence. M'gann was going to accompany them also, using her shapeshifting ability to give herself gills, in order to help Danny and Danielle communicate.

"Ready?" Danny asked Danielle. She nodded and changed into her ghost form and Danny followed suit.

"Alright, keep in mind, when you shift in and out of sync with this plane, your need to breathe is kind of paused. You won't need to recover air like when you hold your breath normally. Let me demonstrate here while we're still on dry land," Danny explained. Danny paused for a moment.

"Okay, I'm doing it now. As long as I'm concentrating, I don't need to breathe. But I wouldn't advise relying on it. If I lose my concentration, I'll instinctively breathe again and if I'm underwater, I will drown," Danny warned. He paused again.

"I've stopped now. See how I don't need to catch my breath? That's how you know you've done it right," Danny concluded.

Kaldur frowned and glanced at M'gann.

"_Then why did you need to catch your breath when you did that when Vlad was choking you_?" M'gann asked over the mind link. Danny smirked.

"Because I did it when I needed to breathe. It's different to now. Like I said, my lungs kind of pause. If I do it when I'm out of breath, I'll need to catch my breath when I stop," Danny answered. Everyone listening nodded, having been part of the mind link and heard the question. Danny turned to Danielle.

"When you're ready Dani and if you don't want to try, it's alright. This isn't easy to learn and can be a bit dangerous," Danny resumed. Danielle sighed to calm her nerves before jumping into the air and grinned at him.

"If you can do it, I can," she retorted cockily. Danny blinked and noticed her facial expression. He deduced that she said something along the lines that she was ready.

He nodded.

"If you start to drown, try to stay ghost and fire off a ghost ray. As ghost, we need less oxygen anyway," Danny advised before floating into the air as well. Danielle nodded to show that she heard him. With him unable to hear, teaching was a little tricky. In a way, this was the best lesson for him to teach. Danielle would only be able to talk if she managed it.

Kaldur and M'gann waded into the sea and dove under the gentle waves. Danny and Danielle flew out until they reached deep enough water. Then they dropped into the water and began the lesson. There were a few times where Danielle had to come up for air and a near drowning, but after the eleventh attempt, she did it. Unfortunately, her elation of achieving the feat caused her to lose her concentration and Danny had to save her from drowning again.

Danielle floated away from him, spluttering from inhaling a little water by accident.

"_I nearly had it_!" she growled.

"Dani, you did have it. You just lost concentration. I told you, it needs you to concentrate to work. But now you've felt it, it'll be easier to do again," Danny reassured her. Danielle looked up and smiled.

"_Can I try again_?" she asked.

"_If you're up for it, sure. It doesn't bother me_," Danny agreed. The team were trying to wean Danny off using the mind link solely to communicate as it may come to a point that he'd rely on it completely and be unable to talk to others without it. Black Canary had offered to teach Danny sign language or how to read lips. But they decided for times like this when proper communication and understanding was imperative, they'd use the mind link.

Both halfas dropped back into the water and Danielle tried it again. She managed it for almost a minute before losing concentration, however this time, she didn't require saving. She grinned at Danny as she floated out of the water.

"Yes! I did it! I really did it this time! Thanks Danny!" Danielle cheered. Danny smiled as she spoke just loud enough for him to hear what she was saying.

"Knew you could Dani, congrats. Now all you have to do is try without being in danger. That's harder because you know you can breathe if you want to but you'll get it. Just try not to hold your breath so much that you pass out okay?" Danny replied. Danielle nodded and hugged him excitedly. Danny laughed and hugged her back before turning intangible and drying himself. Danielle copied him.

They returned to the beach moments later and met up with Kaldur and M'gann, both soaked.

"Now what do we do?" Wally asked the group. They all shrugged and looked to each other. Danny, not knowing what was asked, turned to Black Canary.

"Mind if I do some training of my own for a bit? I want to try and teleport again," Danny inquired, attracting the others' attention. Black Canary blinked in surprise at the question before shaking her head and gave a go ahead gesture. Danny grinned. He then turned around and scanned the beach for an easy target. He saw that Wally and Artemis were sitting on the sand a substantial distance away.

He took a breath and try to get to the point he'd been when his friends and sister had been in danger. He filled his mind with the desire to get to the point he was focusing on without moving. His form momentarily blurred into a green mist before solidifying again without success. He growled with frustration and tried again. But he didn't even grow smoky this time. He took a calming breath, ignoring his audience, and turned his thoughts inwards. He closed his eyes and considered how he'd felt. He'd felt an overwhelming need to get to another location while being unable to move. But he'd also felt a wave of instability. Just like with the Zeta tubes. It wasn't a frightening feeling but certainly a unique one.

As he thought, he unconsciously adopted a thoughtful, floating position.

"What's he doing? I thought he was trying to teleport," Garfield inquired in confusion.

"I think he's trying to figure out how he did it the first time. Doing something by accident, is a whole lot different than doing it on purpose and this time he doesn't have the stress of if he fails something bad will happen," Danielle answered breathlessly, revealing that while Danny had tried to teleport, she'd tried to shift her presence. The others looked to her.

"Ghosts work on emotion. If our emotions aren't right, our powers don't work. So if Danny isn't feeling the same as he did when he teleported, then he mightn't be able to do it," Danielle explained. The team had told Garfield and Danielle what happened during the mission when Danny was talking to Batman and Black Canary.

Danielle turned to Danny and gasped as his form began to blur again slowly. His face was set in a determined, concentrating expression. He then erupted in a cloud of green smoke and vanished. Everyone cried out in alarm and searched for him.

Danny opened his eyes and saw that he had moved. He frowned. He wasn't near Artemis and Wally. He was ten feet in the air above where he started. He growled in frustration and floated back down.

"This is going to take some time," he muttered, bringing everyone's attention away from their search and back to him.

"Where did you go Danny?" Raquel asked. Danny didn't hear her though. She waved her arms to get his attention. Danny turned to her.

"Where did you go?" Raquel repeated, trying to make what she was saying obvious. Danny guessed what she asked.

"I did teleport but I didn't really move. I ended up up there," Danny answered and pointed above him. Everyone smirked and Danielle giggled.

"_Practice makes perfect_," she joked over the mind link. Danny sighed and nodded before giving her a playful glare.

**A new power for Danny to learn to control. **

**And a new technique for Danielle too.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	63. Chapter 63

The next day, everyone gathered in the training room. Batman was even present. It was for one reason and one reason only. Now that Danny could change, Danielle and Danny could have a true spar. In human form the spars had been exciting, especially as Danny grew in confidence again. But this spar promised to be even better. It was agreed that Danielle would change to human to signal to Danny that the fight was over. Both halfas stood facing each other.

"_No duplication_," Danielle added. Danny smirked.

"Alright. Fair enough. But I'm keeping my ice," Danny agreed. Danielle frowned but didn't argue.

They changed into their ghost forms and everyone held their breath for the spar to begin. Danielle made the first move. She lunged at Danny. No longer grounded, Danny merely jumped up and out of the way. Danielle flew under him before twisting in mid-air and fired a ghost ray up at Danny. This was also a chance for everyone to see how Danny's hearing disability, which hadn't healed yet, affected him. This included Danny. He'd decided that his performance in this spar would decide if he could ever hope to fight ghosts properly again as it was doubtful his hearing would return.

Danny flickered intangible and the shot passed through him and hit the ceiling. Danny turned and fired his own ghost ray at Danielle. She dodged and they continued to fire and dodge ghost rays. Suddenly Danny swooped down to the ground and phased through it. Danielle scoffed.

"That trick is getting old Danny," she grumbled as he used it regularly in their fights. She floated down to the ground and waited for Danny to appear, not seeing that Danny had returned into the room already through the ceiling. He grabbed her from behind and threw her into the wall. She gasped in alarm and fired a ghost ray at him. Due to her haste though, it missed without Danny even trying to dodge. His green eyes glowed blue and he froze her to the wall.

The team gaped at the tactic. He was using his renewed confidence in flying to his advantage.

"I don't need to duplicate to get the drop on you Dani," Danny taunted with a playful smirk. Danielle scowled and phased out of the ice. She charged her hands with ghost energy but before she could release, he sank through the ground. Danielle growled in annoyance.

"Stupid tactic," she hissed to herself. She scanned the room, including behind her and the ceiling. She then cried out in alarm as she was grabbed from underneath and tossed in the air. Danny took her place on the ground and fired a ghost ray which she deflected with a shield. Danny flew up to meet her and they engaged in hand to hand combat, both much better than their first spar due to training. Danny overpowered her and tossed her at a wall. She turned herself intangible before she hit and sailed through it.

"Ghost fights aren't easily contained," Danny remarked to the audience. Danielle returned to the training room moments later, looking furious.

"Stop doing that!" she complained. Danny smirked, hearing her.

"Dani, that always happens in ghost fights," Danny replied, reminding everyone of his experience. Danielle lunged at him and Danny sidestepped in mid-air.

"Here's where I usually say something like Toro!" Danny teased. Danielle growled. With an angered scream, she fired ghost ray after ghost ray at Danny, including charged disks from her feet. Danny dodged the attacks.

Black Canary checked the time and called for the end. Danielle however wasn't having it, not stopping her frustrated barrage of attacks. So the fight continued as Danny dodged shot after shot. Black Canary shouted to them to stop. Danny glanced at her, hearing the order. He then frowned at Danielle in seriousness. He wasn't playing now. He zoomed forwards and grabbed Danielle's arm and pulled it into a painful hold.

"Even I heard Black Canary call time. Calm down Dani," Danny informed her. Danielle struggled against him before turning intangible. He quickly copied her and kept his hold of her. Danny refused to let her go and she slumped in defeat.

"No fair, I didn't get one hit in," she mumbled.

Seeing the fight leave his clone, Danny floated to the ground and released her. She stepped away from him and reverted to human. Black Canary frowned at Danielle.

"Danielle! When I call time, you have to stop. You have no excuse for ignoring that direct order," Black Canary scolded her. Danielle sighed and nodded.

"Sorry, got caught up in the heat of the moment," Danielle muttered. Black Canary frowned at her.

Batman considered Danny and held his chin thoughtfully.

"M'gann, connect me to Danny," he requested. M'gann blinked but obeyed.

"_Danny, how do you feel that fight went_?" Batman inquired. Danny turned to the dark knight.

"_That was a lot better than I was expecting. I was worried about how my deafness would affect me, but it wasn't really an issue_," Danny answered.

"_Was that how you usually perform during a fight_?" Batman asked. Danny shrugged.

"_Usually. Yeah. If it's a really tough opponent though, I joke around a lot less. And I was trying to avoid using my ice and more advanced techniques to give Dani a chance. I've been at this for a while and she doesn't really have that much experience_," Danny admitted. Batman nodded.

"I see," he murmured to himself. Danny waited for Batman to either end the conversation or say something further.

Batman nodded to the halfa, telling him that he had no further questions. Danny smiled and glanced at Danielle who was still being scolded. Black Canary stopped with an annoyed huff before turning to the teens and Garfield. She then began to teach a lesson on hand to hand combat, with slight difficulty due to Danny's impaired hearing.

While the children paired off, Garfield and M'gann teaming with Danny, Black Canary stood beside Batman to observe.

"What do you think?" she asked. Batman watched as Danny observed Garfield and M'gann perform the technique before imitating them.

"I think that a meeting is in order," he answered. Black Canary followed the caped crusader's gaze and smirked.

"Yeah, I thought so too. Who would have thought that Danny would recover so much after being imprisoned by the Guys in White and so quickly too," Black Canary commented. Batman smiled.

"It just proves that Danny is a very determined and strong individual. But I do think you were right, interacting with the team did help his recovery immensely," Batman replied. Black Canary bobbed her head in agreement.

"When do you want to set this meeting up?" Black Canary inquired. Batman considered the question.

"I'll need to talk to the others first, but I'd like to arrange it for during the next week when the team isn't around. But I'll let you know when I know," Batman informed her. Black Canary nodded before returning to her lesson.

**A meeting. How mysterious? Any guesses what Batman and Black Canary are up to?**

**So Danny still can't hear for the most part. But it does seem to have affected his fighting ability.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	64. Chapter 64

Danny was in his room in his ghost form. He was sitting on the floor with a number of objects scattered around for him to practice his ghostly telekinesis. It was Thursday and Danielle was in her normal extra school lesson and Garfield had offered to take Cujo for a walk, using the specialised thread Danny brought from home as a lead. Cujo was still nervous of the others but as Garfield could now change into a number of animals including a dog and had shown he was friends with Danny, Cujo trusted the boy. Wolf and Cujo were still uneasy with each other but it was understandable. Wolf was an alpha and was very protective of his new pack, the team. He accepted Danny but Cujo, unable to hear the wolf's warnings, hadn't been accepted yet.

Danny's hearing had been growing steadily clearer but he wasn't sure if it was him getting used to being deaf and learning to read lips, or if his hearing was healing. His right ear was still deaf but his left could pick up noises at normal levels now. Not actual words, but he could tell that someone was talking now without them shouting. He didn't always get what people said from lip reading and he could only do it when the other person talked slowly.

Danny sighed his frustration away and lifted a hand up and pointed it at the spare thermos he put in front of himself. His green energy spread out from his hand and encased the device. Slowly and with complete concentration, he lifted the thermos into the air. He then tried to hold it there for as long as possible but after ten minutes his concentration wavered, the energy flickered and the thermos dropped a few inches. Knowing he was going to drop it soon anyway, Danny lowered the device to the ground and growled in annoyance. He noticed his tension and took a calming breath to relax himself.

He glanced at the letters from his loved ones that he'd gotten yesterday. They'd all expressed their sympathy for his hearing disability but also informed him that ghost attacks had reduced significantly. They couldn't explain it but Danny sensed it was because Skulker had done as he requested. The hunter had passed on his threat to the other ghosts and they listened. They daren't attack Amity Park in case Danny Phantom sought them out and punished them. It wouldn't be long before the ghosts took their chance though, but at least it gave his family and friends some respite. The ghost attacks had gotten so bad that, without Danny to take the brunt of the ghost fighting, Tucker and Sam were in danger of flunking school.

Danny sighed and turned to a sack of sugar he pilfered from the kitchen. It was about the same weight as the thermos. Danny lifted his arm and sent his energy out to the sack of sugar and slowly lifted it. Deciding to be a little daring, he raised his other arm and levitated the thermos at the same time. He struggled to split his focus evenly and he was finding it a lot harder than duplicating. Duplicates just needed a little energy and a mental connection to him to stay functioning. Levitating required his complete and undivided attention to send his energy through the air and encase the object. It was a lot easier in the Ghost Zone as his energy was encouraged and supported by the atmosphere there. But in the Real World, it wasn't. The air fought against it.

Suddenly the door opened and Black Canary poked her head in. As he was facing the door, his focus was completely broken as he saw her and both the sugar and thermos dropped the few feet to the ground. The thermos was fine. It was built to last. But the sugar burst open and sprayed sugar everywhere.

"Darn it!" Danny growled. Black Canary bit her lip, realising that her intrusion had caused the accident. She knelt beside him and tapped his shoulder, ignoring the tingly cold that always emitted from his ghost half. He looked to her.

"Sorry Danny. I did knock, but I guess that didn't really help," Black Canary apologised. Danny followed her lips and nodded.

"Nah, it's fine Black Canary. I was being a little daring. I can't hold the thermos for more than ten minutes by itself. Trying two things at the same time was asking for trouble. What's up?" Danny replied.

"I'm sure that we could help if you'd let us," Black Canary offered. Danny followed her lips again before smiling.

"I prefer to figure things out myself if I can. I'm sure I'll get this sooner or later. It took me months to duplicate, but I can now. I mightn't be as good as other ghosts I know, but I can do it," Danny retorted. Black Canary smiled to him and nodded.

"Do you want help cleaning up?" Black Canary asked. Danny turned to the mess before sighing.

"I've got a broom in here. I was kind of expecting this, hoped it wouldn't happen, but I was prepared. Thanks for the offer though Black Canary. But you haven't answered my question, why did you come in here?" Danny answered as he floated in the air and unfolded his legs. He walked over to the broom in the corner and turned to Black Canary waiting for her to answer.

"I came to take you to a meeting. Some of the other Justice League members want to meet you. But it can wait until after you're done here," Black Canary informed him. Danny nodded before frowning in confusion.

"Meet me? Am I in trouble or something?" he asked. Black Canary smiled and shook her head.

"No Danny. You're not. They just want to meet you. By the way, are you comfortable with them knowing your secret? Batman and I haven't told anyone about your half-ghost status and we won't if you don't want us to," Black Canary inquired. Danny frowned as he watched her lips before blinking in surprise.

"Oh um… who am I meeting?" Danny retorted. Black Canary watched him sweep up the sugar and pick up the damaged sugar pack. He turned to her.

"Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Batman will be there and myself, Superman, Flash, Icon, Doctor Fate, but I doubt he'll be interested too much in your secret, Aquaman and Red Tornado," Black Canary listed. Danny nodded before grabbing a plastic bag he'd brought to contain the remaining sugar and split sugar pack.

"Okay, I'd like to meet them first if that's alright. I don't have a problem with Icon knowing, I thought he already knew since he was protecting my family," Danny replied. He looked up to her, waiting to be enlightened on why he didn't know.

"Batman only informed them that your loved ones were in danger due to a connection to someone in protection. They knew you were rescued and in protection but they didn't know the specifics of why," Black Canary explained. Danny nodded and turned to grab a dustpan and swept the loose sugar into it before dumping it into a bin in his room.

**Hmm… a meeting with a number of Justice League members…**

**Any ideas what this little meeting might be?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	65. Chapter 65

Having returned the sugar to the kitchen, Danny followed Black Canary to a quiet room that was reserved for interrogations which the team rarely performed. They were rooms left over from the days when the Justice league used the cave. He'd reverted to human before leaving his room. If he wanted to keep his secret from these heroes, he couldn't have them connecting Phantom to the Fentons.

Black Canary opened the door and let Danny head into the room while she excused herself to get Red Tornado. Danny waved to the group nervously.

"Hi," he greeted them. The group of men smiled at the halfa and gave their own greetings that Danny couldn't follow as he wasn't sure who was talking when. His limited hearing was clear enough that he could recognise voices if not what they were saying, but he'd never met and spoken to these people before and so it was impossible to recognise who was speaking. Red Tornado and Black Canary then entered. Danny's lessons with Red Tornado were exceptionally difficult now that he couldn't hear. The android had no lips for Danny to read, so Red Tornado had to write everything down for him to read in order to be taught.

Batman clapped his hands and motioned to the table with eleven seats arranged around it. Batman took the head seat and Black Canary took her seat beside Green Arrow. Martian Manhunter sat beside Batman and Flash. Superman and Icon sat on either side of Doctor Fate. Aquaman gestured for Danny to sit between him and Red Tornado. Once everyone was seated, Batman turned to Martian Manhunter and requested that he set up a mental link with Danny and relay everything being said, earning the dark knight and the deafened teen curious looks. Danny shifted nervously under their scrutiny.

"I'm almost completely deaf. Still learning to adapt since it happened last Saturday," Danny admitted to them.

Superman raised an eyebrow and a few of the other heroes sent the teen sympathetic looks.

"_Alright Danny. My name is J'onn. Can you hear me_?" the Martian asked having set up a mind link to the teen. Danny smirked.

"Poor choice of words J'onn," he joked. The Martian blinked in surprise before giving the teen a friendly smile.

"It is done Batman," J'onn informed the dark knight. Batman nodded, giving Danny a small smirk in response to the comment, deducing what J'onn asked.

"Danny, these are the mentors of the team. Doctor Fate used to be Zatanna's father. That is why he is present," Batman informed the teen, relayed by J'onn telepathically to ensure that Danny understood exactly what was being said. Danny realised what Batman was saying. He was asking to tell the heroes about Phantom. He bit his lip before sighing.

"Alright," he muttered, his friends could always talk to their mentors if they did something to threaten his secret. Batman smiled and Black Canary gave the teen an encouraging look.

Batman then turned to the heroes, most of whom were completely confused by Danny's relenting agreement.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Batman began the meeting officially. The adults, bar Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado, shared confused looks.

"Why does that matter Batman?" Superman asked.

"Because before I met Danny, I didn't. I thought ghost stories were only of things that couldn't be explained or were completely fabricated to frighten tourists or children," Batman answered.

"Why would meeting Danny change that?" Flash inquired.

"Because his family are ghost hunters. Right Batman?" Icon interjected. Batman nodded.

"Yes, but also because Danny is half-ghost," Batman replied.

The room stared at the dark knight, and Danny held his breath. J'onn had been relaying the entire conversation and Danny was hoping that the adults learning what he was wasn't going to backfire. It hadn't been a problem for most of the team, but adults tended to be a lot more unforgiving when it came to believing in ghosts. Danny had seen that first hand from watching his parents be labelled crackpots.

"Half-ghost? How is that even possible?" Aquaman asked, glancing at the teen beside him. Batman motioned for Danny to take over. He'd investigated the halfa himself, but he never learned how Danny had become half-ghost. Danny scanned the faces looking at him and took a deep breath.

"Alright, my parents have been studying ghosts since they were in college. It was how they met. And a couple of years ago, they finally finished their own working Ghost portal," Danny began.

"Ghost portal?" Green Arrow interjected. Danny paused, hearing the voice and then J'onn's repetition of the question telepathically.

"Yeah. You see there's a place called the Ghost Zone. The Ghost portal is a machine that, in my dad's words, busts open a hole into their dimension. Well, it didn't work to start with. For some reason my parents put the on switch on the inside and forgot to switch it on before connecting the power. So when I got persuaded to check it out, I didn't really think much of it. So I put on a jumpsuit because my parents drilled it into me and Jazz, my sister, that they had to wear one around the portal in case of contamination. I stepped into the portal and accidently touched the on switch. Got electrocuted with pure ghost energy," Danny explained and the adults winced in sympathy.

Danny gave a grim shrug.

"Not nice I know, but that's what happened. Not entirely sure how it works, but I'm half-ghost now. My ghost half is called Danny Phantom," Danny concluded.

"Ghost half? Do you mean to say that you have a second appearance?" Superman asked. After a moment, in which the question was relayed to him, Danny nodded. A ring of light appeared around him and split. As the rings slid across his body, his jeans and shirt were changed into a black and white jumpsuit with his symbol. His eyes changed from a vibrant human blue to a glowing neon green. His hair changed from black to a white whiter than snow. His body glowed and he emitted a very slight chill.

He spread his arms nervously in a "ta-dah" motion. The adults unfamiliar with this phenomenon gasped and stared at him.

"You see where my new found belief in ghosts is from then," Batman remarked. The heroes glanced at Batman before returning their stares to Danny.

"I'm sure you've seen weirder right?" Danny commented, a slight echo to his voice. The adults blinked before realising what they were doing and cleared their throats and mumbled apologies that Danny didn't hear but could sense from their body language. Danny then reverted to human, feeling more comfortable in that guise in this situation.

"How… how is it that we didn't know about this!?" Aquaman demanded. Danny flinched at the sudden raised voice beside him.

"Because Danny didn't wish to make this public knowledge and until now I haven't questioned that desire. You knew he was in protection, what you don't know is why," Batman retorted. Aquaman blinked and the table turned to Danny again. Batman watched Danny and gave him an encouraging nod. Danny sighed.

"Ever hear of the Guys in White?" he asked the room. Most of the adults shook their heads.

"They're ghost hunters employed by the government. Have it out for Phantom and over three months ago they caught me," Danny informed them, lowering his gaze to his lap. He didn't want to explain the details himself. Not to a bunch of strangers.

"Three months ago? Why is that important?" Green Arrow inquired, seeing Danny's closed off posture. Black Canary watched the teen with concern.

"Because the team rescued him two months ago from imprisonment there," Batman answered with a soft growl to his voice.

"Rescued!?" a number of the adults exclaimed.

"Surely if the boy showed he wasn't a proper ghost, they'd free him," J'onn commented. Batman turned to the Martian and shook his head.

"Because of Danny's… uniqueness, he became a topic of interest for them. I don't want to disclose anything he's not comfort sharing, but he was experimented on for almost seven weeks," Batman explained, glancing at the teen. The room became silent as the other heroes took this horrific answer in.

"Poor kid," Icon whispered.

"But Danny's recovered exceptionally well. Hence the reason for this meeting," Black Canary interjected. Danny looked up at this comment, J'onn still relaying everything being said telepathically.

**Finally an answer and an unresistable cliffhanger. **

**Last chance to guess why Batman called this meeting.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	66. Chapter 66

"Exactly. Phantom has made quite a name for himself as a protector of Amity Park. During my investigation to understand Danny better I came across three questionable incidents though. The first being a string of robberies that I didn't understand until Danny commented on being under mind control once by Circus Gothica. The ringmaster, Freakshow as he likes to be known, possessed a staff and a crystal ball that legend said could control ghosts. The staff hasn't been seen since," Batman told the room and looked at Danny, waiting for an explanation.

"Oh, fell off a moving train into a gorge. Broke and the spell lifted," Danny explained. Batman smirked and nodded.

"The next thing I'd like to ask about is a supposed robbery of Christmas presents," Batman resumed. Danny scowled.

"Alright, that wasn't me. A ghost called the Ghost Writer was ticked at me because I wrecked his Christmas poem by accident. He was getting revenge by blaming that all on me," Danny answered. Batman and a number of the adults blinked in surprise. Danny shrugged.

"I'm not a fan of Christmas. My parents have this annual argument that tends to ruin things. I was blowing off steam in the Ghost Zone," Danny added.

"And lastly, I have my suspicions of this, but when you attacked the mayor?" Batman continued after a moment of thought.

"He was overshadowed. Actually, most of the town was. Walker, warden of the Ghost Zone jail, was trying to get revenge on me. And when everyone thought I was attacking the mayor, you know when he dragged me outside, I was trying to get away from him," Danny explained. Batman nodded.

"I suspected that. The struggle did seem one sided to me when I watched the news video," Batman remarked.

"Sorry, what is overshadowed?" Flash interjected.

"A form of possession," Black Canary answered for Danny.

"So with those incidents cleared up, let me tell you some of Danny's achievements. He has fought a number of dangerous ghosts," Batman began and a holographic display appeared overhead showing news clips of Danny's battles such as Vortex, Technus and the Box Ghost during the Pandora's Box crisis.

"Including a ghost known as Pariah Dark that sucked the entire town into the Ghost Zone," Batman resumed and a clip showing a green dome and a few reports afterwards of what happened.

"He also was instrumental in the rescue of Icon, Plastic Man and his own loved ones when they were kidnapped by Luthor and the Light last weekend, despite being deafened during the incident," Batman concluded.

The adults turned to look at Danny, with surprise on their faces.

"Then I owe you thanks. Thanks to you the worst that happened to both me and Plastic Man was a slight headache and a very long nap," Icon remarked. J'onn relayed the grateful comment and Danny smirked.

"All I did was keep Luthor occupied. The team found you and Plastic Man and got you guys out," Danny replied.

"Not how I heard it Danny. It was you that called in Cujo and got him to track down their location. And you protected your family and friends and got them to safety while maintaining a duplicate and helping to fight off the guards alongside Kaldur, Artemis and Conner," Batman reminded the teen with a pointed glance at Green Arrow, Aquaman and Superman.

The adults gave impressed smirks in response.

"I've been helping him to train in hand to hand combat since he arrived here and he works well with the team. He's quite the fighter, even without his powers. With them, he's impressive to watch," Black Canary added. Danny blushed with embarrassment.

"I'm not that great. I'm still learning," he mumbled self-consciously. Black Canary smiled at the comment.

"He was training by himself before we gathered," she informed the room. The adults blinked in surprise, even Batman hadn't been aware of that.

"So, we gathered you here to ask you a question. All of you. Black Canary, Red Tornado and I have already decided amongst ourselves to agree to this proposal. We think Danny should join the team," Batman announced. Danny stared at Batman in shock once J'onn relayed the suggestion.

"I'm all for it. If Danny can still help when recently deafened in a fight, he's more than ready for the big leagues," Icon agreed.

"Hey I can see he's a determined and driven young man. Reminds me of myself. I'm alright with it," Green Arrow confirmed with a grin.

"Batman, what about his hearing?" Flash interjected. Batman nodded.

"It was a concern but I watched a training session on Sunday and it doesn't appear to have affected his fighting techniques. Besides, he has already shown that he can handle a stressful situation while deaf when he fought alongside the team to hold off the combatants during the rescue on Saturday," Batman answered.

"And there is potential for his hearing to return given time. Danny has extraordinary healing capabilities," Red Tornado added. Flash nodded before shrugging.

"Well, I'm not gonna stop him trying, I'm for it," Flash decided.

One by one the adults agreed until they reached Doctor Fate.

"Doctor Fate?" Black Canary prompted.

"I don't see why I am present at this meeting. I have no part of the team," Doctor Fate retorted, speaking for the first time.

"We asked you here because you're currently hosted by Zatara and his daughter is on the team. Do you or does he have any objections?" Batman replied. Doctor Fate turned his golden helmeted head to the dark knight before shaking his head. Batman gave the lord of order a curt nod.

"Then, we're all in agreement. Danny, what do you say?" Batman inquired.

Danny blinked in surprise as he realised that these well known and respected heroes wanted him on the team with Kaldur, M'gann, Conner, Robin, Artemis, Raquel, Zatanna and Wally. Not only had Batman and Black Canary suggested it, but they'd encouraged it for the other heroes to agree to it. He smiled.

"Hey, it would be an honour and a dream come true to be a superhero. If you guys think I should be on the team, then I'll just have to show you that you're right," Danny agreed, feeling elated.

**Yep. Batman called the meeting to invite Danny on to the team.**

**What will the others say when they find out?**

**Let me know what you guys think.**

**Until the next chapter. **


	67. Chapter 67

Conner, Zatanna and M'gann walked into the kitchen after school. Danielle was already there struggling through an assignment left for her to do by Red Tornado.

"Hey, Dani. What're you doing?" Zatanna greeted the girl. Danielle looked up and blew a strand of black hair out of her eyes angrily.

"Trying to do this stupid homework. I can't figure it out. I blame Danny. I told him I don't do school!" she growled, frustrated. Conner and Zatanna shared confused looks as M'gann started to make a pot of tea.

"Hey, what happened to the sugar?" she asked, noticing the damaged pack.

"Probably Danny. He's been trying to get his telekinesis right," Danielle answered before throwing her pencil angrily on the table.

"Why don't you ask RT or Danny for help?" Conner inquired, looking at the page himself to see what was wrong.

"RT's busy. Some kind of meeting or whatever. And I don't want to disturb Danny when he's trying to train. Besides, I'm not asking him to help me," Danielle answered with a stubborn scowl. Zatanna rolled her eyes.

"Dani, if you're having trouble you should ask for help. If you want, we could take a look," Zatanna offered. Danielle sighed and looked at Zatanna gratefully.

"Please," she relented. Zatanna smiled and sat down beside the girl and began to explain where she was going wrong on the maths problem.

M'gann set the pot of tea on the table and handed them a cup each. Garfield walked in with Cujo, looking tousled and worn out.

"Never let Cujo see a squirrel. Danny wasn't kidding when he said Cujo's strong," Garfield announced to the room before untying Cujo's makeshift lead. The green dog sniffed the air before running over to Danielle and jumping on to her lap.

"Hi to you too Gar," M'gann giggled. The furry boy smiled and sat down beside her.

"Hey, how was school?" Garfield amended his greeting.

"Dull," Conner replied.

"School's school you know," Zatanna answered before nodding to Danielle as she worked out the sum.

"Oh! So that's where I was going wrong. Thanks Zee. But I still blame Danny," Danielle thanked Zatanna causing the teens to laugh.

"Where is Danny anyway?" Garfield asked after his own chuckling abated. Danielle gathered her things and shrugged.

"Last I heard, he was in his room trying to use his telekinesis properly," Danielle answered. Garfield nodded.

"Should we go and get him?" Garfield suggested.

"I don't know. What if we cause him to get hurt because we interrupt him," Conner interjected.

"I doubt you'd do that. Ghost telekinesis is about concentrating and using our own energy to manipulate objects. At least that was how Danny explained it. Most we'd do by interrupting him is make a mess and maybe annoy him," Danielle replied.

"So let's go," Garfield decided.

Danielle followed the green boy with Cujo running after them. The teens glanced at each other before shrugging and chasing after them. Danielle propped her school stuff under one arm and knocked on the door mockingly before opening the door. The teens caught up to them and frowned as they saw the room was unoccupied.

"Huh? Could have sworn he was in here. He _was_ practicing his telekinesis," Danielle muttered and gestured to the number of things still scattered around the room on the ground.

"Maybe he tried to practice his teleporting instead. You know as a break," Garfield suggested.

"Maybe, but Danny prefers to do that outside in case he teleports into a wall by accident and he likes to have someone around in case he hurts himself," Danielle reminded them.

The group of five shared concerned looks as Cujo sniffed the nearest thing on the ground, the thermos. He glanced at Danielle and saw that she looked worried. The green dog then sniffed the room again and then ran out of the room following the scent. His barking drew their attention and they chased after him, shouting to the deaf dog to stop.

Cujo ran through the cave and phased through a closed door.

"What is that dog doing here!?" a male voice shouted in alarm.

"Cujo!?" Danny exclaimed. The group stopped and blinked in surprise.

"Isn't that where RT had that meeting?" Garfield asked Danielle. She nodded and scowled suspiciously at the door before pushing it open. The room was in disarray. The Justice League members had jumped to their feet and Cujo was growling protectively at them in his adult form. Danny blinked in confusion at the dog before getting to his feet.

"Hold your fire. Sorry," Danny called to the Leaguers. He stepped in front of the dog and the monstrous dog looked at him. Danny smiled and rubbed the dog's chest. The dog's growling stopped and he began to pant happily and wag his flaming tail. The dog flopped on to his side and waited for a belly rub.

"Sorry, Cujo's deaf too. Even more than me actually and he's really protective," Danny explained over his shoulder as he obliged to Cujo's request. Some of the Leaguers chuckled nervously.

"Well, at least he waited until we were finished," Superman remarked before noticing Conner in the doorway.

"Hey Con. School over already?" he asked.

Conner blinked in surprise at being addressed so unexpectedly. He and Superman had had a much better relationship since New Year. He was even offered a home with the Kryptonian's family but the clone wanted to stay at the cave for now. He did visit often though and had a good relationship with Superman's loved ones. Conner nodded uncertainly.

"Uncle J'onn!? What are you doing here?" M'gann called out, smiling at the adult Martian. J'onn smiled at the girl.

"There was a meeting. Perhaps we should wait for the others before explaining," J'onn replied, glancing at Batman who nodded in agreement.

Cujo shrank down to his puppy size and Danny stopped giving the dog attention. Cujo yapped at him and tried to encourage the teen to rub him again. Danny chuckled before turning to see the others in the doorway.

"Oh hi, school over?" he asked. The teens nodded and frowned suspiciously at him.

"Well, if the meeting's over, I'll leave," Doctor Fate decided and Zatanna watched the lord of order disappear in a bright golden light sadly. Danny noticed the light and frowned in thought.

"Batman, you said that Zatanna's dad was Doctor Fate's host right?" Danny inquired. Batman nodded.

"Well, that means it's a form of possession. If you want, I could try to shift the balance so that Zatanna's dad has more say if not complete control," Danny offered. Everyone blinked at him.

"You could do that?" Green Arrow gasped. J'onn relayed the question telepathically. Danny shrugged.

"Not sure. It depends on how different this is to overshadowing. I have pushed overshadowing ghosts out of people in the past. I could try," Danny replied.

"We'll keep that in mind Danny. But for now there's no need," Batman decided giving Zatanna an apologetic look. It was an unnecessary risk for now that Batman wasn't prepared to take, especially without a reason. Zatanna didn't seem to notice though, she was staring at Danny like she'd never seen him before. She had given up hope of seeing and talking to her father, Nabu would not release her father until Doctor Fate wasn't needed and the hero would always be needed.

**Hmm… what do you think? If Danny were to try would he be able to help Zatara?**

**Will Batman allow the halfa to try?**

**But for now let's focus on Danny joining the team.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	68. Chapter 68

Everyone gathered in the training room, Justice Leaguers included. M'gann telepathically asked Danny what was going on but Dany refused to answer, only giving them a knowing smirk as he tried to keep Cujo under control. The dog wasn't happy being around so many people he didn't know were friends or not. Especially after seeing Doctor Fate disappear in a flash of light. He wanted to sniff them all but was also growling at them at the same time so Danny kept him close, using the makeshift lead Garfield still had with him. In his puppy form, the dog wasn't too strong for Danny to keep under control particularly with his ghostly strength, even if it was limited in his human form, unlike Garfield, Zatanna and M'gann who would be overpowered.

One by one the rest of the team arrived and gave the room a suspicious and curious look, noticing the large number of adults who weren't usually around. Once everyone was gathered, Wally being the last as usual, Batman called for everyone's attention.

"As some of you already know, there was a meeting today with the Justice League members present and Doctor Fate who has already excused himself. We wanted to discuss something that involved the team," Batman began.

"Are you going to kick one of us off?!" Raquel exclaimed. Icon smiled at his protégé.

"No Raquel. This is something good," Icon assured her.

"Upgraded tech?" Robin guessed.

"A paint job in the cave?" Artemis asked. Batman scowled at the teens.

"No. And if you'd be quiet, I'll tell you," Batman scolded. The teens hung their heads sheepishly.

"You're getting a new member," Batman announced. The team stared at him for a moment.

"Who?" Wally inquired, worried Batman would be angry at the potential interruption. Batman smiled and nodded to Danny, who was still struggling with Cujo who wanted to go and greet the other teens that had arrived, Wally in particular being the latest arrival.

"Danny!?" a number of the teens exclaimed in surprise. Danny looked up and noticed everyone looking at him.

"Sorry, you were saying? Cujo's being a pain," Danny apologised. Some of the Justice Leaguers smiled before nodding to the teens, understanding that Danny, being more or less deaf, hadn't been paying attention and didn't know what had been explained.

Danny turned to the team and glanced at Batman.

"Oh… you heard the news," Danny realised and grinned at the teens as they blinked at him, dumbstruck.

"You're joining the team?" Kaldur asked him. Since Danny had been watching the teens at the time, he saw Kaldur's lips moving and read the question, Danny nodded.

"Just agreed to it before Cujo interrupted the meeting. Didn't even know Batman was considering it before that meeting," Danny informed them.

As the news finally sunk in, the teens began to grin as well.

"Danny that's great!" M'gann cried out with a beaming smile.

"I should have realised that was what was going on. I had to go to a meeting too," Artemis muttered. Raquel nodded as she recalled being considered for the team as well.

"How come I wasn't told?!" Danielle grumbled.

"Dani, sounds like Danny didn't even know," Robin laughed as the teens walked over to congratulate the halfa.

With the team informed, the Justice Leaguers took their leave one by one until only Black Canary, Red Tornado and Batman remained.

"Danny!" Batman called and waited until Danny turned to him.

"From now on, you listen to me and Kaldur. No more stowing away on unsanctioned missions. Understood?" Batman told the halfa.

"Understood, and I'll try and listen," Danny replied with a playful smirk. Batman sighed but nodded before leaving himself. The team laughed and continued to celebrate their new member until Black Canary called for their attention and began her training session with the team, Garfield and Danielle.

After a painful training session and a shower, the teens gathered in the kitchen and M'gann began to bake a celebratory cake.

"_I hope I have enough sugar_," M'gann remarked to Danny telepathically. He chuckled.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Black Canary kind of came into my room when I was trying to levitate that and a thermos. Lost concentration and dropped it," Danny explained. M'gann smiled at the halfa to show that there were no hard feelings.

"How is that coming anyway?" Robin asked, tapping Danny on the shoulder first. Danny sighed.

"Not great. I'll show you if you want," Danny offered and changed into his ghost form and focused on a school book. His green energy spread from his hand and encased the book. He then lifted the book into the air and held it there for almost ten minutes before his energy began to flicker around the book and he put it down.

"If I try longer, I'd drop the book," Danny concluded as he relaxed, finding that whenever he used his telekinesis he tensed up.

The team nodded in understanding.

"It looked good to us though," Raquel attempted. Danny shrugged.

"It's a lot easier in the Ghost Zone. I don't have to concentrate nearly as much to do it. Here, it's a constant battle to keep whatever I'm levitating airborne," Danny admitted.

"What about your teleporting?" Conner inquired. Danny grimaced.

"I can do it on command, but my accuracy is way off. Honestly I don't know where I'm going to end up when I try," Danny answered.

"How does teleporting work?" Artemis wondered. Danny frowned and floated into a sitting positon, startling those closest to him since they weren't used to him doing that yet.

"Well, there's kind of two parts. The first is a desire to reach somewhere else without being able to move from where you are. That's what happened on Saturday. I was so desperate to get to my friends and Jazz, that my powers did the rest. The second part is allowing my form to disperse and reform elsewhere, which is what I've figured out how to do. I have to consciously make myself unstable enough to break apart and will myself back together afterwards," Danny explained.

"Ugh, that's not easy. I mean when I was destabilising, I had to keep myself together by will and it was hard," Danielle interjected, Danny turning to her when he heard her voice and read her lips for the most of her comment. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, but that was different. Your form didn't want to stay together and you were fighting yourself. This is more like… relaxing my form and then going back to normal. It's really hard to describe. The closest I can liken it to is the Zeta tubes," Danny replied. The team frowned, not understanding the terminology at all. Danielle nodded, slightly understanding what he was saying.

M'gann slammed the oven shut to bake the cake mix.

"Well, a cake is a start but we need to celebrate properly," she decided. Danny smirked at her.

"You guys don't have to do this you know," he interjected.

"We know, we want to," Kaldur replied placing a hand on Danny's shoulder, smiling.

**So Danny is officially part of the team.**

**How will that affect the team and Danny's recovery?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	69. Chapter 69

Saturday morning, the team gathered in the hanger.

"Dani, make sure to keep an eye on Cujo. And if you take him for a walk, try to keep him calm because you won't be able to stop him if he changes," Danny warned. Danielle rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I wish I could come with," Garfield muttered.

"We know Gar, but Danny wanted to tell his family in person that he's part of our team and show us around Amity Park. And I'm sorry, but you're too conspicuous," M'gann replied.

"He could always change into an animal," Wally suggested. Garfield looked up and grinned.

"No, Batman agreed to this as a team building experience and for the team to hopefully get experience in ghost fighting should there be an attack. I think one unsanctioned mission a month is enough," Kaldur interjected.

Black Canary walked in and did a quick head count.

"Alright you lot, try not to get into trouble and be back before nightfall," Black Canary called to the group, Danny turning to her to read her lips. The teens nodded.

"Dani, Gar. Stay where I can see you," Black Canary ordered them, to both of their disappointment, having hoped to stowaway before the Bioship took off. The team boarded and the vessel took off, leaving Danielle and Garfield pouting beside Black Canary.

"How does it feel Danny? First flight you're actually allowed on," Robin inquired, swivelling to face the halfa. Danny smirked having read the boy wonder's lips.

"Feels nice, but I prefer the adrenaline rush of doing something I'm not meant to," Danny replied. Robin laughed.

"Did you tell your family that you were going to visit?" Artemis asked. Danny shook his head.

"Nah, I like surprising them," Danny answered. The team smiled.

"Oh, by the way. I don't know if you guys know, but my family have kind of been covering for my absence by saying that I'm staying with my aunt in Spittoon. So if anyone asks, mind saying you're from there?" Danny informed them. The team shook their heads.

"Thanks, and sorry in advance. Spittoon doesn't have the best reputation," Danny warned.

"Then why does your aunt live there?" Conner asked.

"She moved there after her divorce to get in touch with nature or something. I don't know. But she says she's happy there," Danny answered with a shrug.

"So, any warnings about Amity Park?" Zatanna inquired. Danny frowned in thought before shrugging.

"Can't think of any. Oh wait, if the Lunch Lady gives you an option, pick one or she gets really angry," Danny decided.

"Lunch Lady?" Raquel repeated. Danny blinked, having missed the question. Raquel repeated her question.

"Oh right. She's a ghost. But you'll know what I mean if she attacks," Danny elaborated.

It wasn't long before Amity Park came into view. As the previous week, M'gann landed the Bioship behind Fenton Works and Danny led the way around to the front of the house. M'gann was in her human guise and the others were in their civilian clothes.

"I'll let you guys introduce yourselves. So if you want to give yourselves fake names to protect your identities, I'll go along with it," Danny muttered to them before knocking on the door.

"Just make sure I hear or know what you say instead," Danny added. The team smiled to him and looked up when the door swung open to reveal Danny's sister.

"Danny!?" she exclaimed in surprise. Danny turned to her and smirked.

"Hey Jazz. Mom and dad in the lab?" he greeted her.

"Did something happen? He only ever visits when something happens," Jazz asked the teens behind her brother. Danny scowled.

"Hello? Right here," he grumbled. Jazz blinked and turned to her brother.

"You can hear?" she inquired surprised.

"Kinda. More lip read. Getting good at it too. And nothing bad happened," Danny answered. Jazz blinked at him in surprise before allowing the teens inside.

"You're the teens that helped save us right?" Jazz called over her shoulder as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Er… right," Robin replied.

"Mom! Dad! Danny's here!" she shouted down to the lab. Both parents raced into the living room.

"Danny, did something happen? Did something happen?" Maddie inquired, first asking her son before recalling that he was deaf and turned to the other teens.

"Nothing bad mom," Danny told her. Maddie and Jack blinked at him in surprise.

"Can you hear us son? I thought you were deaf," Jack asked. Danny seesawed his hand.

"I can hear a bit in my left ear. Enough to recognise whose talking, and I've learnt to lip read. As long as you talk slow enough for me to follow," Danny explained. Maddie smiled.

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear sweetie," Maddie cheered.

"Jazz, mind calling Sam and Tuck for me? I have some news," Danny requested.

"I knew it," Jazz retorted as she pulled out her phone. Maddie ducked into the kitchen to get the teens some refreshments. Danny leant into Robin.

"Quick warning, if it's green don't touch it. Even Wally. My mom doesn't always mean to cook with ectoplasm," Danny whispered. Robin blinked behind his sunglasses before discretely warning the others. Jazz put away her phone.

"They'll be here in a few minutes," Jazz announced, noticing that when she started talking, Danny turned to her and watched her lips. He nodded with a smile.

"I don't understand. I thought you guys had a telepath and spoke using a mind link. How is it you learnt to lip read?" Jazz pointed out. Danny smiled.

"Because Black Canary decided that I should learn in case I have a conversation without a telepath around. If it's really important that I understand everything or if I'm really not getting it, then we use the mind link, but otherwise I try not to. I'm getting a lot better at it," Danny replied.

"So Danny, how's that green ghost dog you had with you?" Jack asked, attracting his son's attention. Danny smiled sadly.

"Cujo's pretty much the same dad. He's kind of latched on to me actually and gets very nervous if I'm not around. Luckily the other halfa, you know the one I saved, he likes her too. So she's looking after him right now," Danny answered. The team nodded in agreement.

"Most of us aren't strong enough to handle him," Zatanna added. Jazz hummed in understanding.

"Sam and Tucker told me a little more about Cujo. He doesn't seem to listen to anyone but Danny. He even attacked them when he wasn't around," Jazz informed the team. They blinked in surprise. Danny waved a dismissive hand.

"I'm sure they were exaggerating. Cujo's not that bad once he knows you're a friend. Besides, that was during the early days," Danny retorted. Jazz frowned at him before there was a knock at the door.

**So how will his friends and family react to finding out he's part of the Young Justice?**

**Let me know what you think.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	70. Chapter 70

Sam and Tucker walked in with Jazz and turned to Danny. They were happy to see him but concerned about what a visit could mean.

"Please tell me this isn't about the Light or another organisation," Sam requested as she walked over to Danny, directing her question at the other teens.

"Nope, I don't have bad news Sam," Danny replied with a smile.

"Dude, can you hear us? I thought you're deaf for good," Tucker inquired, shocked. Danny frowned at his friend.

"That's not for certain yet Tuck. And I can hear in my left remember. I've just learnt to lip read since you guys last saw me," Danny explained again.

Sam smirked before hugging him.

"Glad to hear it Danny," she muttered once she withdrew, understanding that he needed to see her to know what she was saying. Danny smiled and nodded.

"Wish I could say the same," he joked. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Don't start with those lame hearing jokes again," she complained and everyone laughed.

"He never stopped," Artemis informed the Goth. Sam shook her head at her friend before turning to the other teens.

"So, you're those teens that helped Danny save us right? What are you all called?" Sam inquired. The group shared looks before glancing at Danny.

"You trust them?" Kaldur asked him. Danny nodded confidently.

"Very well. I'm Kaldur'ahm, but my friends call me Kaldur," Kaldur introduced himself and held out a hand to Sam to shake. One by one the team introduced themselves to the Danny's loved ones by the name Danny knew them by.

"And I'm Robin. Nice to meet you again," Robin concluded the introductions. Sam and Tucker shook his hand, with sheepish grins recalling how they met the boy wonder over two months ago. Maddie had joined them since and set out refreshments on the coffee table, which none of the team dared to try after Danny's warning.

"So, why are you here?" Jazz inquired as they all sat down.

"Well, the other day I was asked to join this team and I said yes," Danny answered and waited for their reactions.

"Wait, as in the Justice League!" Tucker interjected. Danny shook his head.

"No, this is a smaller, covert team coordinated by Batman. It's separate from the Justice League," Danny elaborated.

"Wow, that's a big step," Sam commented. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it myself," he admitted.

"I'm proud of you little brother," Jazz decided and Danny smiled at her.

"Sweetie, is it going to be dangerous?" Maddie asked. Danny sighed.

"No more so than last Saturday or ghost fighting," Danny replied.

"We look out for each other Mrs Fenton. And we never put any of us into unnecessary danger," Kaldur interjected. The team nodded in agreement.

"Besides, I've already agreed," Danny added. Maddie frowned at her son.

"Danny, I think I should have a say in what my son is doing," Maddie retorted with a stern scowl. Jack laughed.

"Wow, my son a real hero. I just wish I could tell people," Jack declared with a proud puff in his broad chest, loud enough that Danny didn't need to lip read.

"Jack!" Maddie scolded.

"Oh Maddie, you heard them, besides it looks like Danny's made up his mind. Might as well support it," Jack replied. Maddie huffed in frustration before nodding.

"Well, at least it's not bad news this time," Maddie muttered.

"That's the spirit," Jack praised her. Danny smirked at his parents.

"Well, I thought that we could show the others around Amity Park," Danny informed them all, gesturing to himself and Sam and Tucker. Maddie and Jack turned to him.

"Relax, I'll be back later. The Bioship's parked around back," Danny reassured them, knowing that they'd prefer a longer visit than in the past. The parents nodded and watched as the teens filed out of the house.

"How long have you guys known about Danny being a halfa?" Artemis asked Sam and Tucker, Danny turned as he walked in order to watch the conversation.

"Since day one," Tucker answered.

"We were there when he got his powers," Sam added.

"Woah, really," Zatanna gasped. The teens nodded.

"Yeah, it was pretty memorable," Tucker muttered, glancing at Danny.

"I think we all remember that day Tuck," Sam murmured with a slight shiver at the memory. Sensing that it wasn't a pleasant memory and having heard from Danny how he got his powers, the team didn't question further.

"What do you do here for fun?" Wally asked.

"Normally we watch movies or play video games. That and ghost hunting. But with Danny the way he is," Tucker replied. Danny frowned.

"Guys, I'm not completely disabled you know. I can still fight ghosts and there are movies with subtitles," Danny retorted with annoyance. Sam and Tucker blinked in surprise at him.

"How can you be sure?" Sam inquired, noting his confidence in his ability.

"I've been training with Dani. We had a spar last Sunday and it was fine. I have to watch my back a little more than usual since I can't hear, but I can still fight," Danny explained.

"Wait, so Danielle stuck around?" Tucker interjected. Danny smirked.

"She's in protection too. Actually she's gets schooled by the same guy as me," Danny answered.

"How does that work with you unable to hear?" Tucker inquired.

"Tuck, there's nothing wrong with my eyes. I can read," Danny replied, getting annoyed by his friends' constant remarks about his inability to hear.

"Oh right. Sorry dude," Tucker apologised sheepishly. Danny nodded.

"I get it, last time I saw you I couldn't hear much of anything and had to use the mind link constantly. But I've gotten used to being like this. It's not a big deal," Danny informed his friends. Sam and Tucker glanced at the other teens.

"He's right you know. We hardly ever have to repeat ourselves now and as long as he's looking at you when you start talking, he usually gets what we're saying. Hardest thing is getting his attention but if you shout, he generally looks your way," Robin agreed with the halfa.

"And we watched his spar with Danielle. It was quite impressive," Kaldur added.

"Alright then. But it shouldn't be a problem. Ghost attacks have finally calmed down here. We're kind of expecting some big attack any day now," Sam relented. Danny chuckled.

"Good to hear that Skulker passed on my message," Danny remarked. Sam and Tucker turned to him.

"Wait, what?!" they exclaimed. Danny glanced at them and smiled.

"Now who can't hear?" he teased.

"Don't play that card Danny! What do you mean that Skulker passed on your message?" Sam snapped.

"Skulker and Plasmius paid me a visit last Friday night. Plasmius left Skulker and I had a bit of pay back. Then I told Skulker to spread the word that if anyone attacks here, they'll answer to me," Danny explained.

"Why did Plasmius pay you a visit?" Tucker inquired. The team watched Danny curiously as they didn't know the answer themselves.

"He was warning me," Danny answered.

"He threatened you!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"No. He warned me. Spotted people tailing you guys. I thought he meant the Justice Leaguers protecting you," Danny corrected. Sam and Tucker frowned.

"Why would Plasmius warn you about that? He didn't even help you when the Guys in White caught you," Sam asked. Danny shrugged.

"He said it meant that I was in debt to him. Personally I think he was just worried about my mom. I did warn him about the Light after all," Danny replied, deciding to search the house when he returned for those cameras Vlad hid in the house, starting with the lab.

**Yeah, they took the news fairly alright. **

**But will there be a ghost attack while Danny's in Amity Park?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	71. Chapter 71

After a tour of Amity Park, the group of thirteen teens went to the Nasty Burger to get something to eat.

"I really don't know about eating somewhere with the word nasty in its name," Artemis commented.

"Relax Artemis, the food is great here. Nasty is only one letter away from tasty," Tucker assured her.

"Ugh, we don't have our radio station anymore. Stop plugging that stupid slogan," Sam groaned. Tucker scowled at her before stepping up to the cashier to order.

"Oh, hey Valerie," Tucker exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey Tucker, the usual?" Valerie greeted him with a smile.

"I thought you had the day off?" Sam pointed out.

"Switched shifts," Valerie explained as she tapped out Tucker and Sam's usual order.

"So, usual yeah?" Valerie repeated.

"Er, yeah," Tucker agreed as Sam handed the dark haired girl the money to pay.

Valerie smiled and handed Sam her change.

"It'll be ready in a minute," Valerie concluded and turned to the next in line. She gasped.

"Danny!?" she called. Danny smirked.

"Hey Val, you'd think I'd been gone for months the way you're acting," Danny greeted her with a playful smirk. She grinned with excitement.

"So, you're back?" she assumed.

"Visiting. Just for today. Got in last night and leaving early tomorrow. My aunt had business in Elmerton so I came here," Danny lied, surprising the team who weren't aware of his lying and acting skills.

Valerie nodded, accepting the lie readily.

"Oh, now I wish I hadn't switched shifts. How's Spittoon?" Valerie asked.

"Small and quiet. I hear things have been hectic here with all the ghost attacks though," Danny replied, following her lips without her noticing.

"Yeah, but things have been quiet for a week. Those spooks are up to something," Valerie retorted with a light scowl. Danny nodded.

"I guess. Say, any word on Phantom? Sam and Tuck said he's still missing," Danny inquired, surprising the team. Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Look, I know you think he's a hero or something but he's not. Amity Park is better off without him," Valerie answered.

"Meaning no sign?" Danny prompted, full well knowing that there hadn't been, he'd been flying too fast to be recognised when he followed Cujo to the Guys in White base the previous week. Valerie scowled and shook her head.

"Wonder why?" Danny mumbled. Valerie shrugged herself.

"Probably went back to the Ghost Zone or something. Or maybe he finally realised he's not wanted around here," Valerie suggested.

"Maybe. How are you doing though Val? How's school?" Danny asked. Valerie smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine. Been busy you know with my job and everything. But Casper's not the same without you," Valerie replied. Danny smirked.

"Who's Dash's new punching bag?" Danny inquired with a serious frown.

"Mostly Mikey. But he doesn't have a favourite so much now," Valerie answered with a sad smile. Danny nodded.

"I'll try to steer clear from him today then. Bet he's not going to need much provocation," Danny commented. Valerie nodded.

"I'll try and warn you if he comes in. There's a table at the back of the restaurant you can sit at where you won't be seen," Valerie offered. Danny smiled gratefully. Valerie suddenly blinked and realised where she was.

"Oh, but you're not here to chat. What would you like?" Valerie asked with a nervous chuckle. Danny smiled and placed his order and then stepped aside for the team to place their orders.

Taking Valerie's advice, the group sat at a quiet table at the back of the restaurant.

"What gives about you asking that girl about Phantom?" Wally hissed, unfortunately not seen by Danny and so unheard. Raquel noticed that Danny hadn't heard and nudged him. He blinked and apologised.

"Why did you bring up Phantom with Valerie?" Kaldur repeated. Danny nodded.

"Oh, that's normal for me and Val," Danny answered.

"Valerie's a ghost hunter," Sam interjected.

"Sam," Danny scolded.

"What? They should know. She's Valerie Gray and she's had it out for Phantom for years," Sam resumed. The team blinked and glanced at the girl still at the cash register, taking another customer's order.

"Gray? As in Damon Gray?" Robin inquired. Sam and Tucker nodded.

"She really doesn't like Danny Phantom or Cujo. Blames them for her and her dad going broke and for the A-listers turning on her," Tucker confirmed.

"And you asked her about Phantom?" Zatanna pointed out, frowning at Danny like he'd done something stupid.

"Hey, you don't know Val like I do. Besides, I'm still hoping to change her mind," Danny retorted as he picked up a French fry.

"Dude, how many times does she have to shoot at you for you to understand getting close to her is bad news?" Tucker interjected. Danny scowled at him.

"You can't blame Val. Just like I couldn't blame my parents," Danny decided.

"Why do I feel like we're missing something?" Zatanna muttered.

"Danny used to go out with Valerie," Sam informed her.

"No way," Raquel, who overheard, gasped. Sam nodded with a scowl.

"Yeah, and he wouldn't listen to me when I told him Technus set it up. Nearly got himself killed," Sam growled.

"Wait, Valerie nearly-" Zatanna whispered her eyes wide and fearful.

"No, no not like that. Technus took over her tech and used it to attack Danny _Fenton_ while Valerie was watching. It worked out alright but only because Valerie's a black belt and could hold off her armour while Danny ran off to change. But there's a lot of bad blood you know, especially when it looked like Phantom tried to waste Valerie. He didn't, but he wrecked the armour," Sam corrected. Zatanna and Raquel shared a worried look.

"So if Valerie ever learned about Danny?" Raquel began. Sam shrugged.

"Danny seems to think she'd be fine. But me and Tucker have our doubts," Sam answered.

The teens ate their meals with casual conversations.

"Hey Dash!" Valerie greeted loudly. Danny, despite his relative deafness heard her and looked up.

"Crud," he breathed. At Valerie's register, was a muscular blonde jock named Dash Baxter.

"I should probably make myself scarce guys. Meet you guys outside," Danny muttered before getting up and discretely dumped his trash in a trashcan as he made his way to the exit.

"Huh?" Wally mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"School bully. Danny's his favourite," Tucker explained, watching his friend sneak out of the restaurant unseen despite being visible.

Minutes later, the team and Sam and Tucker left the restaurant and found Danny lurking in a shadowy alleyway close by.

"Sorry about that," Danny apologised. The team shook their heads. They understood.

"But why don't you stop Dash? I mean you're half-ghost. Couldn't you do something?" M'gann remarked. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, and I have gotten pay back on him. But if I straight up told him to back off and defended myself it would jeopardise my secret," Danny explained. A number of the team shook their heads.

"I can't believe what you put up with to protect your secret. If you just told people things would be so much better for you. We could shut down the Guys in White and stop Dash and so on," M'gann muttered.

"I've seen what would happen if my secret ever got out to the public. I prefer this," Danny informed them.

"How?" Robin prompted.

"A ghost relic called the Reality Gauntlet, it could affect reality itself. Don't worry I destroyed it, but not before I erased everyone's memory after I accidently changed on the evening news. It's a long story," Danny answered.

"It wasn't pretty. Guys in White attacked. Fans hounded us everywhere. And our families were endangered," Sam added. The team blinked in shock. Danny nodded in agreement.

"Most ghosts don't go after my family because they're ghost hunters. And they don't go after Sam and Tucker's either. The most humans targeted to get to me was when Walker overshadowed the mayor, a lot of people were overshadowed during that. Mostly teachers and students in my year though," Danny explained.

"Fenturd?!" a male voice called. Danny groaned.

"Great," he grumbled. He turned to the voice and spotted Dash with a few of his football team mates.

"Hey Dash," Danny replied. It seemed that Dash had only gotten something to go from the Nasty Burger, evident by the greasy paper bag in his hand.

"Where have you been? You missed nerd wailing September," Dash growled with a menacing grin.

"Sorry Dash, been away," Danny retorted, following Dash's lips despite the distance.

"I know. Where?!" Dash snarled.

"At my Aunt's. Spittoon, it's a small place, doubt you'd know it," Danny answered, seeing the warning signs in pushing Dash too far.

"Spittoon? Don't a load of hill billies live there?" Dash mocked. Danny rolled his eyes. The footballers laughed. Artemis scowled and stomped past Danny and glared at Dash.

"Why don't you just lay off?" Artemis hissed. Not facing Danny, the deafened halfa had no idea what she said.

"Oooh! And who's gonna make me? You his girlfriend?" Dash taunted.

"No. But he's my friend. You have no right to say things like that to him," Artemis answered through gritted teeth. Dash laughed and pushed the archer aside. Danny watched the exchange warily, unable to follow what was being said as Artemis was blocking Danny's view of Dash's face.

"I don't hit girls. But I have no problem wailing on Fentoenail," Dash informed her and grinned at Danny.

Dash then scowled.

"Stop looking at my mouth!" he demanded. Danny blinked in surprise at the comment and averted his eyes.

"Sorry," he muttered. Dash frowned.

"Hold this," Dash ordered one of his team mates and shoved the paper bag at them. He then approached Danny. Danny looked up and gulped as he knew what was coming.

"I'm going to enjoy this so- stop looking at my mouth!" Dash gloated before scowling in annoyance. M'gann gasped as she realised Danny's dilemma. He had to lip-read to know what Dash was saying and that was only making Dash angrier.

"_Danny, I'll tell you what he's saying_," M'gann offered telepathically. Danny glanced her way.

"_What did Artemis say_?" Danny inquired.

"_She told him to back off. That you're friends_," M'gann recalled.

Danny stepped forward.

"Dash, mind if we reschedule? At school maybe? My friends are only in town today and you don't want them to have a bad impression of Casper High's star quarterback, do you?" Danny suggested. Dash faltered. He glanced around the teens, glaring at him.

"Alright. But only cause my food's getting cold!" Dash relented and turned back to the team.

"And if I catch you watching my mouth like that again I'll give you wedgie! It's freaky," Dash growled before they left. The teens gave a collective sigh of relief.

"Hang on, you're not coming back to school yet," Tucker pointed out. Danny smirked.

"Yeah but Dash doesn't know that," Danny replied. The teens laughed and resumed their outing together.

**So the team got a glimpse of what Danny's life at home is like, as well as meeting Dash and Valerie.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	72. Chapter 72

Over the course of the next two weeks, Danny practised his telekinesis and slowly got better and better. He could now levitate things for almost thirty minutes before dropping them. He was also getting better with teleporting, he even managed to teleport to his desired destination a handful of times, but it was still random and more luck than anything else. Danielle was getting better at reading and maths and would soon reach the level her physical age should be at. Garfield had perfected his shapeshifting ability now, apart from reverting back to the way he had been before the car crash. He still hadn't found a name yet for his new appearance.

Danny had also shown his team exactly what he was capable of, demonstrating his powers for them, with the exception of his ghostly wail, and had become so comfortable with them and the team that he was using them like he used to, such as phasing an arm through a cupboard door to grab what he wanted rather than opening the door. Cujo had relaxed also, however both were still not healed. Cujo hadn't shown any improvement in his hearing. Danny however was different. He was finding that he was hearing more and more. He hadn't told anyone as he couldn't be certain if his hearing was healing or if it was just him becoming accustomed. But the halfa could sometimes hear if a television was on before entering a room. He could make out words too and didn't have to rely solely on reading people's lips. He couldn't hear clearly enough yet that he didn't need it but he could hear a bit. He could hear voices, not words, even when they were talking softly.

But it was Hallowe'en. The teens had decided to spend the day together watching scary movies and telling ghost stories, Danny's being the best of course. Zatanna and Artemis even told the story of Harm and his secret, Greta. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, powerful for a shade," he remarked.

"What do you mean?" Artemis prompted.

"Shades are weak types of ghosts. Rarely capable of talking and interacting with the physical world. Sounds like Greta was a shade attached to Harm. Her reason was to be with Harm. Not sure why, might have been revenge or because she was his sister. But Greta was able to interact with him and say "secret". Maybe a weak ghost or a powerful shade," Danny elaborated. Zatanna and Artemis blinked in surprise.

"Have you ever dealt with one?" Kaldur inquired. Danny shook his head.

"No. I only really deal with ghosts causing trouble. Shades rarely cause trouble since they can't interact with the living easily. But my parents taught me about them. And I have asked a few ghost friends about them," Danny answered.

"Alright! Next story!" Danielle demanded. Danny smirked and Wally appeased her. It was a pleasant evening, despite the nightmares caused that night. Danny's nightmares being of his captivity, breaking the eleven day record of not having one.

One week later, Zatanna was having a bad day. She had shut herself in her room and hadn't come out for a few hours, wanting to be alone.

"Is something wrong?" Danny muttered to Artemis that afternoon. Artemis sighed.

"It's been a year since Zatanna's dad was taken by Doctor Fate," Artemis answered. Danny blinked in shock as he realised he had heard every word since Artemis was on his left side.

"Artemis… say something else," Danny requested and shut his eyes. Artemis frowned in confusion.

"Like what? And how can you know what I'm saying with your eyes shut?" Artemis inquired. Danny opened his eyes and grinned.

"Reckon some good news would cheer up Zee?" Danny replied.

"What good news? Danny you're not making any sense," Artemis huffed.

"How about I can hear?" Danny revealed. Artemis gasped.

"No way! Really!?" she exclaimed. Danny laughed and nodded.

"In my left only, but loud and clear," Danny confirmed.

"What's up?" M'gann inquired as she walked into the kitchen.

"Danny can hear!" Artemis cried. M'gann blinked and turned to Danny. He smirked and nodded.

"Only my left, but it's completely healed. Been coming back for a while now but I thought I was just getting used to it. But I didn't need to read Artemis's lips at all and she spoke pretty quietly," Danny explained. M'gann clapped her hands.

"That's fantastic! We need to celebrate!" M'gann exclaimed.

"I'm going to go tell the others. Nice to be able to hear, even if it's just my left, after a month," Danny admitted.

Everyone was overjoyed at the news, Black Canary even offered to inform Batman and his family for him. The last person Danny told was Zatanna. He knocked on her door.

"Go away! I want to be alone," Zatanna called. Danny frowned and decided to ignore the response. He opened the door.

"Sorry, but I thought you'd like to hear some good news," Danny ventured. Zatanna sat up on her bed and dried her eyes quickly.

"Oh, Danny. Sorry, I er… I asked to be alone," she explained, unaware that he could hear.

"I know. I heard," Danny replied and waited.

"Wait, you heard! But… but you're," Zatanna stuttered in confusion. Danny smirked.

"Not anymore. At least not in my left," Danny revealed. Zatanna blinked before grinning.

"Danny! That's amazing! Congratulations!" Zatanna cheered and jumped to her feet and excitedly embraced him.

Danny led Zatannna to the kitchen and the team, Danielle and Garfield had a small celebration for Danny's regained hearing. However, Zatanna was still quiet and upset. Danny considered what he could do to help his friend and team mate. Then he recalled that Doctor Fate was hosted by Zatanna's dad. It was a form of possession. He was a powerful ghost. Maybe… just maybe he could help. He bit his lip and began to plan how to do just that. He'd have to get Doctor Fate to come to him since he didn't know where the Leaguer hung out. And he'd need a helper. Someone to distract the Leaguer while he tried to overshadow him. It had to be a helper that wouldn't draw suspicion either.

Danielle and Garfield were out straight away. They had no reason to call Doctor Fate. Black Canary, Red Tornado and Batman wouldn't want to risk it. Wally wasn't a good idea, or Kaldur. Both had been hosts for the helmet before. He'd learnt that much. They could accidentally tip off the lord of order. M'gann, while a good possibility, she might attempt to use her telepathy to help and that could be disastrous. Conner wasn't the best conversationalist and might tip Doctor Fate off that he was stalling or covering for someone. Raquel wasn't the best actor. So that left Robin, Artemis or Zatanna. Zatanna was a no go. She was too emotionally involved. Even though she had the best reason to call the Leaguer. Danny bit his lip. Robin or Artemis. Both were good actors. Both could have a reason. Robin could claim to be researching something for a case with Batman. Artemis could claim to be looking out for her friend. Danny nodded to himself. Artemis. She had the better excuse for this meeting.

Danny discretely pulled Artemis to one side.

"Hey, I've been thinking. I want to help Zee. And I think I can. If you're willing to help me," Danny whispered, making sure to keep his left ear turned to Artemis.

"Sure, but what do you have in mind?" Artemis agreed.

"Remember how I can overshadow people. I think if I overshadow Doctor Fate, I might be able to give Zatanna's dad more free will. I can't guarantee full freedom, but if Zee could talk to her dad, I bet it would be a lot better. Might give Doctor Fate a split personality though," Danny explained.

"Really?" Artemis gasped. Danny shrugged.

"I'm willing to try. But I can't have Doctor Fate suspect it. So I need someone to call him and keep him busy while I try," Danny replied. Artemis nodded and glanced at Zatanna.

"I want to help too," she decided.

**Everything in my stories plays a part. Yep, Danny is going to try despite Batman saying no.**

**Will it work though?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	73. Chapter 73

The next day, Artemis and Danny put their plan into action. Artemis called Doctor Fate, asking to talk privately. The Leaguer obliged and they stepped into the meeting room present in Mount Justice. Danny was already present in ghost form and invisible. Artemis took a deep breath and began her part.

"I wanted to talk to you about Zatanna. It's been a year. Couldn't you just give her back her dad? Even for just a day!" Artemis pleaded, convincingly as she honestly hoped this would touch the Leaguer. They both would prefer to convince the hero. Doctor Fate tilted his head his visible eyes crinkling with a scowl.

"How do I know that if I give Zatara that day, he'll return the helmet? Besides, Zatara vowed to give me his body for me to use," Doctor Fate answered. Clearly the lord of order had already made up his mind. Danny, still invisible, frowned at the Leaguer's back and floated closer. He took a deep breath and lunged at the man, turning intangible and disappearing inside. Artemis cried out in alarm as Doctor Fate glowed brightly and doubled over.

Danny appeared in the mindscape of the helmet and saw a man that could only be Zatanna's dad. He wore a suit and had dark hair, with perfectly groomed facial hair. There was a vague Italian presence around him.

"Zatara?" Danny called uncertainly.

"Danny?! What are you doing?" Zatara exclaimed.

"Trying to help you. Giving you the space to take a little control," Danny answered with a smile. Zatara shook his head.

"No. Go before Nabu recovers," Zatara refused.

"How did you know my name?" Danny asked floating casually onto his back, wordlessly refusing to leave. Zatara frowned at the halfa.

"Nabu gives me a window to allow me to see what is happening outside my body," Zatara revealed. Danny nodded.

"So, you get to see how Zatanna's doing?" Danny inquired. Zatara sighed.

"Not as much as I'd like. And I have no control. Sometimes it's harder seeing her than being completely blind. Now, please go!" Zatara replied.

Danny was just about to reply when he suddenly felt something rush through him. He cried out in pain and was thrown out of Doctor Fate. Artemis screamed as Danny collided with a wall. Doctor Fate straightened and turned to Danny and scowled in fury.

"No ghost can control Doctor Fate!" he boomed. The lord of order began to stalk across the room towards the downed halfa before pausing. He growled angrily before turning away.

"Don't try that again. Next time I will not be as forgiving," he hissed and left the room, disappearing in a flash of golden light moments after. Artemis nodded numbly and rushed over to Danny. She gasped fearfully as she saw Danny's entire form flicker before solidifying again. He was unconscious but still in ghost form.

Seconds later, Conner threw open the door and sprinted inside.

"What happened?! I heard a scream!" he demanded, his eyes flitting around the room franticly. Artemis looked up and shook her head.

"Danny's in a bad way. Get help," she managed. Conner blinked and glanced at Danny as his form flickered again. He ran out of the room. Artemis reached out a shaky hand and grasped Danny's hand tightly.

"Danny… please… please be okay," she whispered, terrified tears running down her cheeks.

Minutes later Black Canary and Red Tornado ran into the room with Conner. Black Canary rushed to Danny's side.

"What happened?!" she demanded.

"Danny… Danny wanted to help… help Zatanna. He asked me to… help. I called Doctor Fate… and Danny tried… he tried to overshadow him. It went wrong," Artemis explained shakily. Black Canary blinked and turned to Red Tornado. The android scanned the halfa.

"He's unstable," the android informed them as Danny's form flickered again. Black Canary licked her lips and got to her feet, recalling conversations with the female halfa about being unstable.

"I'm going to get Danielle. Hopefully she'll know what to do," she decided and left the room.

Black Canary found Danielle in the kitchen with Garfield doing some homework.

"Danielle, come with me," she ordered as evenly as possible. The halfa frowned in confusion but obeyed, stepping out of the room.

"Is something wrong? Cujo's with Wally and Raquel," Danielle informed the heroine nervously, thinking that the ghostly canine had been up to mischief and she was getting the blame. Black Canary glanced at the girl.

"Danny's hurt. We don't know what to do. He tried to overshadow Doctor Fate to get Zatara back and something happened. Artemis is too upset to explain," Black Canary told her. Danielle gasped.

"Hurt how?" Danielle ventured.

"Red Tornado says he's unstable. He's unconscious but still Phantom. And his body keeps flickering," Black Canary reported. Danielle came to a stop.

"Unstable!?" she squeaked. Black Canary nodded, pausing as well.

Danielle took a shaky breath before starting down the corridor again and Black Canary took the lead. Danielle marched into the meeting room and gasped as Danny's form flickered again. She froze and stared, horror-stricken.

"Danielle," Black Canary called. The clone shook her head.

"I… when I was unstable. I was melting. I've never seen anything like this. I… I don't know what to do," she whispered horrified.

"Could he recover if given time?" Black Canary asked hopefully. Danielle shook her head with the slightest lift of her shoulders, lost for words. Black Canary glanced at Red Tornado.

"We should move him to the medical facility. We'll monitor him and if there's no change by morning, may I suggest alerting his loved ones," Red Tornado suggested. Black Canary nodded in agreement and frowned at Danny as he flickered again.

Conner scooped up the halfa and took him to the medical facility. Red Tornado followed close behind. Black Canary then turned to the two girls. Danielle had gone pale while Artemis was crying silently kneeling beside where Danny had been. Black Canary stepped over to Artemis and lifted the archer to her feet.

"Come on, I think a cup of tea and a lie down are in order. You too Danielle," Black Canary grunted and lead the girls to the kitchen. Garfield looked up from his homework and saw that something was wrong.

"Garfield, you can do that later. Go gather the others," Black Canary commanded. The green furred boy nodded and ran off to comply, throwing a concerned glance over his shoulder at Artemis and Danielle. Black Canary then boiled the kettle and made a strong cup of tea for both girls and took them to the bedrooms, taking Artemis to a spare bedroom to use.

The heroine then returned to the kitchen to find the remainder of the team and Garfield. Cujo was also present, panting happily with his blue glowing leash tied to his collar.

"I have some bad news. Danny's been injured. He attempted to overshadow Doctor Fate to help Zatara gain some control. I don't fully know the details as Artemis was very upset. I've sent her to a room here to regain herself, allow her the privacy to do that," Black Canary informed the teens.

"How is Danny injured?" Kaldur asked, glancing at Wally who clearly wanted to leave and find his girlfriend.

"Red Tornado scanned him and says he's unstable. He's unconscious while in ghost form and his body keeps flickering. Danielle, also in her room, didn't know what to do," Black Canary answered. They all knew that Danny generally reverted to human when unconscious, therefore they knew something was very wrong that Danny Phantom was unconscious, not Danny Fenton.

"Why did he even try that?" Raquel inquired.

"Artemis said they were trying to help Zatanna," Black Canary revealed. She didn't want Zatanna to feel guilty unintentionally.

"I-I didn't ask… I didn't want…" Zatanna stammered.

"I understand that Zatanna. You're not to blame in this. Don't worry," Black Canary reassured the teen.

"How are we going to help Danny?" Robin asked. Black Canary sighed.

"We've taken him to the medical facility. We're going to wait until tomorrow morning. We're hoping that Danny will snap out of this himself but if there's no improvement we will have to ask his family for help," Black Canary answered.

"Can we see him?" M'gann asked. Black Canary considered the request but nodded.

"You may, but I doubt you'll be able to help. I'm going to call Batman, inform him what happened. We might be able to get a hold of Doctor Fate and learn what he did to Danny," Black Canary told them before leaving the room.

**Yeah, Danny isn't in a great way. **

**Did anyone suspect that this little experiment might backfire on our favourite halfa?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	74. Chapter 74

Zatanna was sitting in the medical facility. The team hadn't slept much that night. No one wanted to leave Danny alone in case he came around. Therefore the team had gotten permission to stay at the cave overnight and to skip school the next day, taking shifts to watch the halfa. Zatanna sighed sadly as Danny's form flickered once again. Like a guttering candle, Danny's body would flicker out of existence. Batman and Black Canary had attempted to convince Doctor Fate to help but all the lord of order could say was that he was already merciful. The ghost got what it deserved. Zatanna shook her head. She'd never forgive herself if Danny couldn't be helped. True she never asked, but he had done what he did for her.

Zatanna glanced at the base of the bed. Cujo was curled up beside Danny's still body. The ghost dog had whimpered and tried to rouse Danny the minute he saw the halfa. The dog had then settled down and refused to move. Zatanna didn't blame the ghost. Danny was a kind person. He'd taken in Cujo and helped the dog overcome his deafness. The dog still couldn't hear. But he had a new home now with people the ghostly canine trusted. But Cujo was always most relaxed around Danny. For the twentieth time since sitting beside Danny, Zatanna scanned Danny's face. It was relaxed. Calm. He could have been sleeping. But then the halfa flickered and ruined the illusion.

Zatanna looked up as Black Canary arrived. She'd been gone all night researching what to do with Batman. She looked exhausted, and unfortunately, disappointed.

"Any change?" she muttered hopefully. Zatanna shook her head sadly.

"No Black Canary. However, I have been timing Danny's periods of instability. They are growing more frequent," Red Tornado informed the heroine having stayed all night in the medical facility watching Danny.

"Is that a bad sign?" Black Canary asked. Red Tornado nodded.

"He is growing more unstable. If we don't do something soon, I believe Danny will continue to worsen and will eventually grow too unstable to maintain his form," Red Tornado confirmed.

"Meaning?" Zatanna whispered fearfully.

"He will disappear. When he flickers, his entire being disappears for a split second. Not turning invisible, but no longer existing. I have also noted that the flickering has lengthen in duration. Not perceptible to the human eye but considerably by my internal systems," Red Tornado explained.

Black Canary nodded.

"We'll have to take him to Amity Park. If his family have an idea to help, we'd do better to administer their cure as quickly as possible," Black Canary decided. Zatanna turned to Danny as the heroine left to wake the others.

"I never wanted this Danny. I'm so sorry," Zatanna whispered guiltily.

Within an hour, the team, Garfield, Danielle, Cujo, Black Canary and Red Tornado were in the Bioship on their way to Fenton Works. Danny had been moved from the medical facility to the Bioship by Conner. Cujo refused to leave Danny's side for a moment. Danielle volunteered to sit with Danny. They flew in relative silence, everyone dreading the coming conversation with Danny's loved ones and informing them that days after Danny regained his hearing, he was mortally wounded.

They landed behind Fenton Works. Everyone hesitated for a moment before Black Canary volunteered to break the news. She exited the camouflaged ship and headed to the front door. She took a steadying breath and knocked. The door was answered by Danny's mother.

"Mrs Fenton. I need to inform you of something," Black Canary began and motioned to ask if she could enter. Maddie blinked in surprise but allowed the heroine inside.

"Don't tell us that Danny's regained his hearing in his right ear now," Maddie joked with a carefree smile. Black Canary shifted uncomfortably.

"No. No that's not why I'm here. Who's present in the house?" Black Canary replied.

"Jazz is about to leave for school and my husband is in the lab. I could get them if you'd like," Maddie answered with a smile.

"Please do," Black Canary replied.

Minutes later, Jack, Maddie and Jazz were sitting in the living room opposite Black Canary.

"I feel that I should explain the circumstances first. Doctor Fate, a member of the Justice League, is really the lord of order Nabu, bound to a golden helmet. Anyone who wears the helmet is possessed by Nabu and becomes Doctor Fate. Zatara, to save his daughter from the fate he has succumbed to, made a deal to wear the helmet. Danny offered to attempt to overshadow Doctor Fate to give Zatara more free will," Black Canary explained.

"Sounds like Danny," Jazz remarked with a slight frown. Black Canary nodded.

"Yes, well. Yesterday afternoon, Danny attempted to overshadow Doctor Fate and failed. Now he's unstable and has been unconscious since. He also seems to be locked in his ghost form. We had hoped that Danny would cure himself but his condition is worsening. So, we brought him here," Black Canary continued.

The Fentons blinked in shock.

"Are you saying my baby is hurt?" Maddie whispered her eyes wide with fear. Black Canary nodded.

"Can't you ask Nabu or Doctor Fate whoever to fix it?!" Jazz inquired. Black Canary sighed and shook her head.

"We've already tried that. He refuses to intervene. And none of us really has the power or authority to order him to help," Black Canary admitted with a helpless shrug.

"Call him! I'll convince him!" Jack growled protectively, sitting forward in his seat with a furious scowl on his face. Black Canary shook her head.

"As ghost experts, we're hoping you'll be better equipped to cure Danny. He's here, the Bioship is out back. Is there a back way in?" Black Canary informed them. Maddie and Jack glanced at each other.

"We're not experts in treating ghosts. We're experts in making anti-ghost weaponry and other technology utilising ectoplasm," Maddie confessed glumly. Jazz scowled with determination.

"I'm calling Sam and Tucker. And we'll skip school today. Together we might figure out something to do," Jazz announced and pulled out her phone.

"You can use the back door. I'll get the lab ready," Maddie offered and went to the lab. Jack shuffled awkwardly before leading the way to the back door in the kitchen. Minutes later they were all in the lab waiting for Sam and Tucker to arrive. Danny had been placed on a disused dissection table, Cujo curled sadly beside him. He was still flickering, terrifying his family when they saw his condition. Red Tornado had shared his preliminary findings and Maddie and Jack had used their technology to get a slightly better understanding of the situation. Danny's ghostly energy was fluctuating at alarming rates. It would dip extremely low whenever he flickered and then spiked to possibly dangerous levels as the flickering stopped. They couldn't be sure but they suspected the ordeal would be excruciating for Danny had he been conscious.

They heard the doorbell upstairs and Jazz excused herself to let the teens in.

"Woah, that's not good," Tucker muttered as Danny flickered again when they joined the others in the lab.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"He tried to overshadow Doctor Fate to free Zatara," Conner answered.

"Only understood overshadow in that sentence. Who is this Doctor Fate guy? Is he a ghost? Villain? What?" Sam replied with a frown.

"Justice League. A very powerful magical being. Nabu needs a host to exist so he doesn't get out much, Zatara's his host," Robin explained.

"So Danny tried to overshadow him. What happened then?" Tucker prompted. Everyone turned to Artemis, she'd been quiet since Danny got hurt.

"I'm not sure. Doctor Fate doubled over and glowed and then seconds later Danny was thrown into a wall and… and he was like that," Artemis muttered, nodding to Danny's still body. Sam and Tucker glanced at each other.

"Sounds like Danny lost the fight for control. Doctor Fate could've used some kind of magic or whatever to push Danny out and that's why he's like that," Tucker theorised.

"Any ideas on how to fix him?" Zatanna inquired hopefully. Sam and Tucker shook their heads.

"If we could get him to change, maybe it'll stabilise him," Sam guessed.

"I would advise against that. The change may cause more harm and increase his instability. Also, his human body may not survive what has happened," Red Tornado interjected.

"We can't get him to change anyway," Wally remarked.

"We can actually. But we'd have to ask for a favour," Tucker corrected.

"What do you mean?" Maddie encouraged.

"There's… a machine. It can lock away Danny's ghost powers for a time, three hours I think. It hurts Danny though but it could force him into his human half," Sam recalled slowly.

"Who made it?" Jack asked.

"Um… a halfa," Tucker answered. The team instantly understood. Vlad Plasmius made it.

"No, we can't ask him. Is there anyone else?" Danielle decided. Sam and Tucker frowned in thought.

"Wait, who was that ghost that helped Danny when his ice powers activated?" Jazz asked.

"Frostbite," Tucker answered. Sam snapped her fingers.

"Of course! Frostbite will help and the Far Frozen has tons of medical stuff. If anyone can help Danny it would be him. And if he can't, they'd know who could," Sam exclaimed. The team smiled in relief at the possibility of help for their halfa team mate.

**So they're off to the Ghost Zone to get Frostbite's help.**

**But will Frostbite be able to help Danny?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	75. Chapter 75

Danny was moved to the Spectre Speeder, Sam and Tucker were ready to drive into the Ghost Zone to get help. Cujo, loyal as ever, was by Danny's side. The only delay was that the others wanted to come as well. Robin decided to go, downloading the information they had gotten from Red Tornado and the Fentons into his inbuilt computer in his gauntlet so that Frostbite would have a head start. Both parents wanted to go but Jazz made the argument that they couldn't all go in case there was a ghost attack. They were rarer now since Danny had threatened the ghosts to stay away, but there was the occasional attack, usually a low level, mindless ghost.

Red Tornado had offered to go to monitor Danny, but there was the possibility of Technus attacking and taking control of the android. Black Canary decided to stay behind to comfort the family instead. So the argument was between the remaining teens. There was limited space in the Speeder but they all wanted to be there for the halfa. So Kaldur volunteered to stay behind and decided that Artemis and Zatanna would go. Both girls needed to see Danny get better as they felt guilty about the situation. So it was between M'gann, Conner, Raquel, Garfield and Wally. Danielle could go no matter as she was part ghost. Wally wanted to be there for his girlfriend but the rest of the team knew how impatient the speedster could get and feared that he could become a hindrance.

It was finally decided that M'gann and Wally would go. M'gann in case they needed the telepath and to comfort the girls and Wally because he was too stubborn to take no for an answer. So the Spectre Speeder drove through the ghost portal, carrying Sam, Tucker, Robin, Danny, Cujo, Artemis, M'gann, Wally and Zatanna, Danielle following along behind. Tucker drove.

"So, the Far Frozen is a really cold place. Do any of you need jackets, there's a few in storage in the back," Sam asked. The team members present nodded and Sam wordlessly fetched them some jackets, they didn't fit all of them, too big for Robin and a little too small for Wally, but they were warm. Sam then grabbed two jackets for herself and Tucker, sparing a worried glance at Danny as he flickered again.

They travelled in silence and within an hour they could see an icy cave ahead. Robin was fiddling with his gauntlet. Artemis and Zatanna watched Danny with guilty eyes. Wally tapped his foot rapidly and couldn't sit still for more than a minute. M'gann busied herself with watching the green world outside the vehicle. She watched in awe as purple doors passed them and clumps of rock which formed islands, many large enough to support buildings.

"Almost there. Fair warning Frostbite looks scary but he's just a friendly and kind ghost," Tucker called over his shoulder, startling the teens out of their thoughts. Had the circumstances been different, the excursion would be amazing but right now, they could do nothing but worry about the halfa flickering in the Speeder with them. Danielle flew in silence outside, keeping a wary eye out for any ghosts likely to attack the vehicle.

The Speeder entered the ice cave and skilfully flew around the icicles.

"When we first came here, we crashed and Danny flew straight into one of those icicles. We met Frostbite straight afterwards," Tucker recalled.

"_We_ crashed!? You were driving!" Sam growled. Tucker frowned.

"I thought you were," Tucker muttered.

"_I _wanted to ask for directions! Danny was the one who decided to follow those ghosts here," Sam retorted.

"Oh yeah," Tucker breathed before shrugging. The team smirked at the argument glad for something to distract them from their flickering friend.

They flew over a snowy tundra before coming across of handful of fires and icy huts. A short distance away there was a large cave into a glacier which, according to Sam and Tucker, was the medical facility. Danielle landed beside the Speeder and Sam and Tucker opened the door.

"I wasn't expecting anything like this," Danielle admitted. Sam smirked.

"Honestly, neither did we when we first came here," Sam confessed. Tucker scanned the area and large snow-white furred beasts appeared. Tucker smiled and approached the closest one. The team members stared in surprise at the ghosts gathered around them, feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous.

"Hey, where's Frostbite?" Tucker asked.

"Our leader is dealing with an issue at the moment," the ghost answered evasively. Tucker frowned.

"Um… this is kind of urgent. Danny needs help," Tucker ventured.

"The Great One!?" a number of the ghosts gasped worriedly. The others blinked in surprise. They sent a questioning glance at Danielle and Sam. Danielle noticed and shrugged.

"Yeah! He's unstable. It's pretty serious," Sam confirmed. Two ghosts ran off to find Frostbite and another rushed forward.

"I'll take the Great One to the medical facility, if you'd allow," the ghost offered. Sam nodded and stepped aside, giving her permission. The ghost phased inside the futuristic vehicle but was intercepted by Cujo, growling protectively at the strange ghost. Danielle rushed inside to soothe the dog as the snow ghost reverently scooped up Danny and carried him off to the cave. Danielle followed knowing if she didn't take Cujo to where Danny was, the ghost dog would get angry and rush off anyway.

The group of teens followed the ghosts heading to the medical facility.

"Hey? What was that Great One stuff about?" Wally asked.

"Oh, the ghosts here kind of worship Danny after he defeated the ghost king a couple years ago. So they call Danny Great One, at first Danny liked it but now I think he finds it embarrassing but he's used to it," Tucker explained.

"He never told us that," Robin muttered with a slight frown.

"Probably just didn't come up," Sam assured the boy wonder. The teens nodded. They arrived into a large room where the ghost carrying Danny placed the halfa on a table to one side and tapped a couple of buttons on a nearby computer. The computer then began to scan Danny and listed information the screen.

"Er, we have some of that stuff. I mean, on my gauntlet," Robin informed the ghost, lifting his arm and gesturing to the device.

"It is better if we use our own systems. We know what we're looking for," the ghost replied. Robin bit his lip and nodded, suddenly feeling useless. Danielle held on to Cujo, preventing the dog from running over to Danny. The dog whimpered and yipped at Danielle. Since going deaf, the dog only made sounds when he had no alternative. Barks to attract their attention to things like squirrels. Whimpers to tell them something was upsetting the dog. For a few minutes that was the only sound other than technological beeps.

"Friends of Danny Phantom!" a powerful voice boomed as Frostbite entered, differing from the other Far Frozen ghosts with ice and bone for one arm and regal blue rags instead of the tan ones on the other inhabitants of the Far Frozen.

"I really find it annoying that he refuses to use our names," Sam grumbled. Tucker smirked and greeted the ghost.

"What happened?" Frostbite inquired and turned his yellow eyes to the halfa as he flickered.

"A magic guy, Nabu, hurt him. Danny tried to overshadow him and the magic guy shoved him out," Sam answered. Frostbite nodded and turned to the computer.

"You did well to bring the Great One to us. It seems a pulse of magic has destabilised the Great One's halfa balance," Frostbite informed them, interpreting the data quickly.

"Can you help him?" Zatanna asked hopefully. Frostbite smiled at the girl.

"Yes. But it will not be a pleasant treatment. We need to flush the Great One with ghost energy to re-stabilise the delicate balance of his two halves. It will weaken him greatly," Frostbite warned.

"Weaken how?" Robin prompted.

"The Great One may be unable to, as he says, "go ghost" for a number of days. But once the ghost energy settles the Great One will be fine," Frostbite elaborated. The teens breathed a collective sigh of relief. Frostbite then turned back to Danny. He crossed the room and collected a few implements and then attached things that looked suspiciously like electrodes on Danny's chest, and strapped down the teen's arms and legs.

"Frostbite… what kind of ghost energy are you going to use?" Sam ventured.

"I fear ghost electricity is the easiest energy to transfer. While for Danny Phantom, pure ectoplasmic energy or our own native ice energy would be preferable, they are difficult to utilise and the Great One is growing evermore unstable. Had the Great One been brought earlier, we would have had the time to use those energies, but he wasn't and we don't," Frostbite explained.

"You're going to electrocute him!" Artemis exclaimed.

"It is quite safe. But yes," Frostbite confirmed.

**Whew! Danny can be cured. **

**Although how will the treatment go? Will Danny be okay afterwards?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	76. Chapter 76

Once he had prepared Danny, Frostbite turned to the computer and turned a dial. He glanced at the teens.

"If you wish, there is a break room across the hall," Frostbite offered but the teens refused. Frostbite nodded and tapped a button. Green electricity raced through the wires and enveloped Danny. For a moment, nothing happened but then Danny's green eyes snapped open and he screamed in agony. Frostbite frowned but didn't let up. After a minute of almost non-stop screaming and electricity, Danny reverted to human. Frostbite turned off the electricity.

The screams stopped but Danny's now blue eyes were wide with fear. He jerked his arms and legs viciously and began to hyperventilate. Frost coated the bindings and the table. Sam and Tucker blinked in shock, stunned by Danny's reaction but M'gann realised what had happened. Danny was having a flash back to his captivity and was panicking. She rushed over.

"Danny!? Danny!" M'gann shouted trying to calm him but like when Skulker caught the halfa in a net, he was unresponsive. Left with no choice, unable to physically touch him without endangering herself, she reached out to him telepathically.

She scowled and pushed through the panic-induced haze in Danny's mind. She gasped as she saw Danny strapped to a table with a scientist leering over him and electrocuting him. Before she could interrupt the memory, it changed. Once again Danny was strapped down but this time he was covered in red petals and green metal shards, some even embedded in his flesh. M'gann noticed the electrodes on Danny's bare human flesh spark as a flood of electricity rushed through him and he screamed in agony, his voice hoarse and weak from screaming. M'gann called to the halfa but was unheard. The memory changed and this time the scientist from before was pressing a blade to Danny's chest. He had a gag and was in ghost form, his jumpsuit cut away. M'gann gasped and shut her eyes, unable to block the muffled screech that followed.

"Danny?! Danny! You're safe now! Remember! Danny, remember we saved you!" M'gann begged, tears welling in her closed eyes. Slowly the screams grew fainter and M'gann chanced opening her eyes. She saw Danny in a darkened medical facility at Mount Justice. He looked just as he had when they saved him. Shredded torso lazily stitched up, ruined jeans, thin. She crept closer and was startled when Danny opened his eyes and got up. She gasped as Danny collapsed on weakened legs. She rushed forward and helped the teen up.

"M-M'gann?" he whispered as confused eyes locked on her. M'gann blinked and nodded with a warm, tender smile.

"It's alright. You're safe. Alright, no one is going to hurt you," she reassured him. Danny sighed and slumped in her arms.

M'gann blinked her eyes as she came to her senses. Danny had stopped panicking now. He was laying tensed and still with his eyes clenched shut. M'gann blinked and felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She wiped it away.

"M'gann? Are you alright?" Artemis whispered, now beside the Martian. M'gann nodded shakily, supressing her horror from the images she saw in Danny's mind.

"M'gann? Can you _please _get these restraints off me?" Danny muttered in a strained voice, startling everyone. Clearly he was finding it difficult to keep calm. M'gann gasped as she realised that Danny was being strongly reminded of his imprisonment. Strapped down to a table being electrocuted. Anyone would find that frightening.

"Of course Danny. Give me a second," M'gann agreed and telekinetically untied the bindings holding Danny to the table. Danny sighed and relaxed.

He opened his eyes again before tensing as he took in the bright white ceiling above him. His heart rate quickened and his breathing neared hyperventilation again.

"Wh-where am I?" he asked, his voice showing his terrified mind.

"Fear not Great One, you are safe here. I apologise for causing such anguish," Frostbite reassured the teen, still standing by the computer and controls. Danny blinked.

"F-Frostbite?" he stammered and turned his head to see the immense ghost watching the halfa with concern. Danny relaxed and let out a shaky laugh.

"I'm in the Ghost Zone. Far Frozen medical facility," he mumbled to himself with a slight smile. M'gann nodded with relief, understanding that Danny was calming down now.

"Are you alright Danny?" Zatanna asked. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, but… how did I get here?" Danny replied with a growing confused frown. The team glanced at each other.

"You don't remember?" Robin inquired. Danny scowled in thought.

"I remember seeing Zatara. We talked. Then… then something hit me, went through me. Kinda like phasing but it burned. Then I was here getting shocked, pinned down to a table," Danny muttered.

"You saw my dad," Zatanna gasped. Danny nodded.

"He tried to get me to leave. He misses you," Danny added.

"Danny, you got hurt by Doctor Fate. Pretty badly. You were unstable and locked in your ghost form while unconscious. We didn't know what to do so we took you to Amity Park," Robin explained. Danny blinked, taking in the room for the first time and noticing his audience.

"Oh, hi Sam, Tuck," Danny greeted his friends nervously as he sat up. M'gann frowned in confusion by the sudden change in the halfa.

The team weren't as freaked out by his violent reaction in his panic but Sam, Tucker, Danielle, Frostbite and Cujo were. The dog had struggled to reach the halfa, but Danielle hugged him to herself, hurting the dog accidently and he hurt her trying to escape. Sam and Tucker were frozen in place, completely shocked. Danny bit his lip and tried to stand up. Unfortunately weakened by the procedure and subsequent panic attack, his shaky legs weren't strong enough to hold his weight. Wally sped to his friend's side and caught him before he hit the floor.

"Great One, you must rest. I will explain the procedure to you. But you will not be able to change your form for the time being and using your powers will tire you," Frostbite warned. Danny glanced at the ghost and nodded.

"Thanks," he replied.

"I hate being human in the Ghost Zone," Danny muttered to himself, Wally being the only one close enough to catch the comment. Wally led him back to the table Danny had just gotten off of, and sat with him.

"The burning sensation you felt was magic Great One. It destabilised your halfa status. As you may be aware of, if your ghost form is destabilised and fades, your human half will not survive the event. The magic was such a shock to your system that you were left unstable. To correct that, I flushed your system with ghost energy. Ghost electricity to be specific. We had limited time and that was the fastest available energy," Frostbite explained. Danny nodded in understanding.

"Right. And you had to strap me down for the procedure in case I interrupted it by accident," Danny mumbled. The ghost nodded.

"I apologise Great One. I was unaware that the situation would upset you to such a degree," Frostbite admitted. Danny shook his head.

"It's fine Frostbite. But would you mind checking Cujo? He's been deaf for a while now but you might be able to fix it," Danny requested, eager to escape the attention being placed on him. Frostbite turned to the green puppy Danielle was still hugging tightly. The dog had calmed down now that Danny seemed alright. Frostbite bowed respectfully and asked for Danielle to help hold the dog still while he examined Cujo.

Artemis kept her reassuring arm around M'gann's shoulders, concerned for her friend. The moment M'gann connected to Danny the team had explained what was happening. They didn't know what else to do. They explained that Danny was having a panic attack due to being reminded of his time with the Guys in White. Frostbite had been regretful while Sam and Tucker worried for their friend. But Artemis had seen M'gann growing upset, even desperate, from her expression.

Danny glanced at M'gann.

"You okay M'gann?" he called, breaking the uneasy silence. M'gann nodded stiffly. Danny frowned.

"You don't have to pretend you know. That's my job," he scolded jokingly, but everyone could see the smirk didn't reach his eyes. M'gann shuddered.

"How? How can you…? I'm finding it hard and I only saw a handful of stuff," she whispered. Danny shrugged.

"Practice," he offered. M'gann shut her eyes and shook her head.

"You shouldn't have to!" she retorted. Danny considered the girl.

"What did you see? I'll explain for you. Might help if you know what was actually going on," Danny suggested, surprising the teens. M'gann opened her eyes.

"You're sure?" she mumbled. Danny shrugged.

"Talking helps. And don't tell Jazz I said that. I'll never hear the end of it," Danny answered.

**Yay! Danny is awake. **

**Not yay… he had a flashback. **

**How will the others react to what he's about to tell them?**

**Will Danny be okay?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	77. Chapter 77

M'gann nodded and gave a small smile.

"Um, first thing I saw was you strapped to a table. A scientist was there and you were being electrocuted. Human form," M'gann recalled.

"That was early. They were questioning me. When I changed, they wanted to learn everything about me. First thing they did was ask me a lot of questions. The first being what I was," Danny informed them.

"By electrocuting you?" Robin remarked with a frown.

"I wasn't co-operative Rob. But I managed to keep quiet on who knew about me. They decided my parents didn't know because if they did they would have "corrected" it," Danny clarified. The room was silent for a moment.

"Anything else?" Danny prompted.

"Um… yeah. I saw you strapped to a table covered in red flowers, green metal getting electrocuted. There wasn't anyone else there. Human form again," M'gann remembered. Danny looked away and they realised instantly that was one of the harder memories for Danny.

"Right, that was a punishment. For using my ghostly wail," Danny muttered.

"Punishment?" Zatanna repeated.

"Wait, red flowers? Green metal? Oh… Danny," Sam gasped. Danny shut his eyes and it was obvious he didn't want to explain further.

"What? You understand what was going on?" Robin asked.

"Blood blossoms and ecto-ranium. That's barbaric!" Sam growled.

"They're anti-ghost. The flowers are an ancient ghost repellent but they actually burn ghosts. And ecto-ranium is an anti-ghost element, recent discovery I think," Tucker explained.

"How long?" Artemis breathed.

"Hours. Lost count," Danny mumbled.

"Why did you use your wail?" Wally inquired.

"Instinct. I didn't mean to," Danny answered. The group fell silent again, horrified by the news of being tortured for hours for a mistake.

Danny cleared his throat.

"Next M'gann?" Danny encouraged, wanting to move on. M'gann decided to be honest and tell him every memory she saw. She owed it to him to do that much.

"I don't think you need to explain this. But I saw you in ghost form, strapped to a table with a scientist cutting into your chest," M'gann muttered. Danny nodded.

"But um… I don't understand that last thing I saw. You were in the medical facility, back you know at headquarters. You tried to get up but collapsed," M'gann added, not sure if she was allowed to say Mount Justice around Sam and Tucker. Danny chuckled.

"Yeah, I was pretty weak back then. You saw when I woke up after you guys saved me. Took me ages to figure out I wasn't bound or even gagged. I tried to make a break for it but, like you saw, I wasn't strong enough. Black Canary came in then and explained a few things," Danny recalled with almost fondness. M'gann realised that Danny liked that memory. It was the moment he learned he wasn't in captivity anymore.

"Great One, this is reversible. But it will take time. Do you wish for the people of the Far Frozen to take Cujo for the duration of the treatment?" Frostbite informed Danny, breaking the awkward silence around the teens.

"Nah, thanks but I'll do it," Danny decided.

"Wait, if Cujo can be cured maybe Frostbite can help with your hearing," Robin suggested.

"Great One?" Frostbite questioned.

"I'm half deaf. In my right. I was temporarily deaf in my left but that's healed, I think completely," Danny elaborated. Frostbite nodded and then examined Danny's ears.

"Yes, your left has fully healed. Might I ask how this happened?" Frostbite asked.

"Guys in White know of a frequency that hurts ghosts. Seems to only work though if you can hear in the first place. It was so loud that it deafened me and Cujo," Danny explained. Frostbite frowned but didn't ask for further details.

Frostbite then went to a drawer and pulled out a few things, a bottle of pink liquid, a few droppers and a small box with a dial.

"One drop in the damaged ear daily. It may cause discomfort. This box emits a range of sounds at different levels, it will help you to monitor your progress. If you haven't improved by at least two levels by the end of the month, come back. I haven't heard of this frequency, it may have caused adverse effects that could potentially inhibit this medicine," Frostbite instructed.

"How does it work?" Wally asked.

"It triggers ghost energy into concentrating healing abilities to a specific wound. This concoction in particular targets ears and eyes. Which means also that if you are injured during the time you are using this, I would advise returning here for treatment. You will not heal as quickly for the duration. Do you have any other medical issues?" Frostbite answered. Danny smiled and accepted the items.

"No. Thanks Frostbite," Danny replied.

Frostbite nodded and excused himself to get Danny and the others refreshments.

"How long was I unconscious by the way?" Danny asked after a few minutes, Danielle and Cujo had returned to the group. Cujo had jumped on to Danny's lap the moment he was able to. Danny was currently stroking the dog soothingly, happy for the comfort.

"You tried to overshadow Doctor Fate yesterday. We waited until morning in case it was just temporary," Artemis answered. Danny nodded.

"Sorry for the scare," Danny offered.

"Why did you do it? Batman said there wasn't a need," Zatanna inquired.

"Because I wanted to. I thought I could help Zatara but now I know I can't. It isn't like overshadowing at all. It's something… different… stronger. I'm sorry Zee, I couldn't help," Danny explained.

"Different how?" Sam prompted. Danny frowned in thought.

"It's like… remember when Poindexter overshadowed me and banished my ghost half to his lair in the Ghost Zone?" Danny retorted. Tucker and Sam nodded.

"Kinda like that. Except, there's no mirror in or out. The helmet controls the possession. The only way to free Zatara is to remove the helmet," Danny concluded.

"Which isn't possible. I tried to take it off him once. He has to take it off himself," Zatanna interjected.

"If that's the case, then how did you get in?" Tucker asked. Danny shrugged.

"I guess it's like a safety mechanism or something. Overshadowing only results in being placed in that realm with the host's consciousness. I didn't try to leave but I'm not sure if I could have, at least not by myself. Apparently Zatara has a window that he can watch so he knows what's going on outside his body, but no control," Danny replied.

"I'm not sure about that," Artemis muttered. Everyone turned to her.

"When you overshadowed him and then he forced you out, I was sure he was going to kill you. But he stopped and changed his mind. He said not to try that again and left. Batman and Black Canary tried to get Doctor Fate to help you but he told them he'd been merciful already. I think Zatara stopped him," Artemis elaborated.

"That's possible actually. Kent Nelson helped me when I put on the helmet. Convinced Nabu that I wasn't the right host for him. Kaldur said he did the same for him," Wally agreed.

"An old guy tried to help me too. But Nabu dismissed him," Zatanna mumbled. Danny blinked.

"Guess I owe the guy my thanks," he muttered.

"Does that mean Zatara could take control?" Tucker asked with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. Wally, Danny and Zatanna shook their heads.

"It's not like that. It's more like a conscience. Kent just convinced Nabu to free me. He didn't force Nabu," Wally clarified. Danny nodded in agreement.

"Nabu has to listen. Guess Zatara made a good case for me," Danny confirmed.

Frostbite returned a few minutes later with sandwiches, which Sam refused due to the meat filling, and drinks. Then, with Wally to lean on, Danny and the others returned to the Spectre Speeder. Danny still felt weak but he wanted to return home as quickly as possible. Once again, Danielle followed outside. Without the worry about Danny, the journey back was much more relaxed.

"Danny, what's that over there?" M'gann asked. Danny followed M'gann's gaze and frowned.

"That would be Pariah Keep, resting place of the ghost king," Danny answered.

"The guy you beat?" Wally recalled. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, not an easy fight. But I won so… that's all the matters," Danny confirmed.

"Danny was exhausted afterwards. Bedridden for a day and for the next few days tired really easily. Luckily ghost attacks were down for that week," Sam added. Danny rolled his eyes.

"I was bedridden, because you guys wouldn't let me get up," Danny grumbled.

"Sure Danny. Whatever you say," Sam retorted, clearly not believing a word.

"Danny had to wear a glitchy battle armour his folks made. It multiplied natural abilities a hundred-fold, but the suit used the wearer like a battery. The more you did, the weaker you got. Danny refuses to tell us how much energy he used in that fight," Tucker informed the group.

"Because it doesn't matter," Danny retorted.

"Then tell us," Tucker prompted.

"Don't remember," Danny lied. The team shared a look. They were starting to realise that Danny didn't like to worry his family if he could help it and protected them fiercely.

"Would you tell us if we promise not to tell others?" Robin asked. Danny raised an eyebrow but didn't answer.

**Well Danny is weak but feeling better.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Warning: the next chapter might be a tad graphic.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	78. Chapter 78

**Warning: the second half of this chapter might be a little upsetting but I think it is important to understand Danny in this story.**

A few minutes later, they arrived at the portal without incident and returned to the lab.

"They're back!" Garfield shouted, having been watching the portal for their return. Within minutes, Danny's family and the rest of the team were in the lab. Black Canary and Red Tornado being the last to arrive. The hatch opened and Danielle landed beside the vehicle. Danny, with Wally's aid, exited the Speeder first.

"Oh, sweetie! Are you alright?" Maddie exclaimed, rushing over to her son.

"Fine mom, just weak. Frostbite said I'll be like this for a few days. My ghost half needs to recover properly," Danny answered. Maddie took over from Wally and led Danny straight over to a chair. Black Canary watched as the other teens exited, Cujo already beside Danny as his mother fussed over him. The team retreated a respectful distance and the heroine joined them.

"So, what happened? How was Danny treated?" she inquired.

"Frostbite flushed his system with ghost energy. Ghost electricity," Robin reported. Black Canary's eyes widened.

"How did Danny react?" she asked.

"He panicked. I managed to calm him down though," M'gann answered and shivered slightly. Conner frowned with concern and placed an arm around her.

"You saw his memories," Black Canary deduced. M'gann nodded.

"They were horrible," she whispered. Black Canary sighed.

"If you want to talk about it, you're welcome to come to me. Danny has told me a lot about what he's been through," Black Canary offered. M'gann nodded numbly.

"Danny did explain what M'gann saw to us. We know what she saw. That punishment though," Artemis revealed and shut her eyes and shook her head. Black Canary nodded.

"It was harsh. And barbaric. Perhaps you understand why Danny was so frightened by anger now," Black Canary agreed.

"What punishment?" Kaldur inquired.

"I think it would be best to wait for now. Besides, that's Danny's business," Black Canary decided.

The team nodded in agreement. They turned to see Danny being scolded for being so reckless by his family.

"Batman's pretty upset too," Danielle added, having joined the group around Danny. Danny nodded.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I thought I could help. It won't happen again," Danny appeased them. Jazz scowled and Danny held her gaze as they had a silent battle of wills. Jazz finally sighed.

"So… who's this?" Jazz asked, gesturing to Danielle. Danielle stiffened, having forgotten in the heat of the moment that this was Danny's family and this was the first time she met them.

"This is Danielle. The halfa I saved. Danielle, this is my family. Maddie, Jack and Jazz," Danny introduced, gesturing to each of his loved ones in turn. Danielle waved shyly.

"So Danielle, how did you become a halfa?" Jack asked. Danielle tensed and glanced around herself. She didn't think Danny's loved ones would approve of her being his clone, even if it wasn't her fault and she knew Vlad wouldn't appreciate her telling others her origin story and his part in it.

"Dad, that's not a very easy thing to talk about. Remember how I got my powers?" Danny interjected. The ghost hunter flinched.

"Right, sorry. Does your family know?" Jack amended.

"I… er I don't really have one. Danny kind of adopted me as his cousin though," Danielle admitted. The parents blinked in surprise.

"Is that true sweetie?" Maddie inquired, tearing her stunned gaze from the female halfa to her son. Danny shrugged.

"She's a great kid. And besides since we're both halfas, we gotta stick together. Cousins seems right. That's alright with you guys right?" Danny replied.

"Of course sweetie," Maddie agreed without any hesitation.

"You're welcome here whenever," Jack added. Danielle smiled, touched by their kindness.

Jack then helped his son upstairs to the kitchen where they all spent the next hour talking. Maddie served some food and refreshments, however everyone knew of the danger of consuming it and remained cautious. But Jazz, Sam, Tucker and Danny helped themselves to the cookies. Then, Black Canary decided that the teens staying at Mount Justice should head back. Danny's family and friends were sad to see Danny go, despite the relief that he was going to be fine. Danny had recovered enough to walk now, and he wouldn't admit it, but he was exhausted by the short walk from the kitchen into the Bioship.

It didn't take long before they were back at the cave where Batman was waiting for news on how things went. The moment Batman spotted Danny, the dark knight scolded the halfa for ten minutes for pulling such a reckless and stupid stunt without telling anyone. Danny then excused himself to his room, worn out from standing so long. It was worrying for the others, but they decided it was just because Danny was still recovering. He lay on his bed and shut his eyes. Too tired to change into sleepwear.

Black Canary then sent the others for an afternoon nap, most of them were lucky enough to have managed three hours of unbroken sleep the previous night. Obediently, they all retired to their beds, whether they be temporary or their actual bed. Gradually they all got to sleep, all but M'gann. Every time she shut her eyes she saw Danny's terrified face. Heard his screams ringing in her ears. Smelt blood and the stench of burning skin. She couldn't get the images out of her head and relax. After an hour, she gave up. She decided to do what she always did when she wanted to relax. Bake. Baking always brought her happiness. Wally's face lighting up as he stuffed the sweet treats in his mouth. The rest of the team laughing. Conner giving her an awkward compliment, unsure what do to with himself. Yes, baking always helped cheer herself up, at least it would take her mind off what she saw in Danny's mind.

Danny's eyes snapped open. His breathing was heavy, escaping his lungs in ragged pants, while his skin felt clammy to the touch and his heart thundered in his chest. He groaned and turned over. Another nightmare. He thought he was past this. He hadn't had a nightmare since Hallowe'en. And now he'd had three in a row while trying to rest. It was as bad as his first week here. Those nights had been the same. Waking every few minutes from a nightmare, an hour if he was lucky. The same nightmare every time. That awful punishment. The one that broke him. Before that, he'd shouted at the scientists. Struggled. Sometimes even defied them by being uncooperative. He'd get hit but it gave him a sense of twisted enjoyment and accomplishment when he annoyed the scientists. But after that ghostly wail and torturous punishment, Danny had been too frightened to fight. He couldn't shout for those days directly afterwards anyway, he'd lost his voice. But he obeyed after that.

That memory was the worst because it was the moment he had to admit defeat and comply in order to survive until the next experiment. He hoped, wished and if he could have, he would have dreamed of being rescued but that hope dwindled each day. He gave up. It was that or risk such a cruel punishment again. And he hadn't felt that he could have survived that again. The only blessing was the overexposure to pain had made him completely numb for the next day or so.

Danny sighed and closed his eyes, trying to rest. He fell asleep only to be back on that table. Strapped down. Blood blossoms littered across his body. Ecto-ranium stabbed into his skin. Ecto-ranium had to be in contact to affect him and his thrashing may have caused them to fall off his body. The electrodes sparked. His entire body convulsed and he screamed as electricity rushed through him. He slumped tiredly as the current was switched off. Time no longer mattered. He was too exhausted, too in pain to focus on that. He was delirious from the agony.

The metallic smell of his human blood and burning flesh from the electrodes sparking filled his nose. All his half-closed eyes saw was the brilliant white ceiling and blinding lights. The electrodes sparked again and he was electrocuted. His voice was cracking. It wouldn't last much longer. His wrists and ankles hurt too, the cuffs cutting into his flesh, deepening with each shock as he convulsed and pulled on the bonds. Danny had no idea if he had injured himself with all the convulsing he endured during that punishment, mainly because the scientists hadn't bothered to check him over for injuries.

Danny tried to distract himself from the smell and the pain by thinking about his family and friends. Sam and Tucker had to be looking for him. They had to be! Rescue would come. Danny screamed and his thoughts were forgotten as electricity rushed through him. His scream cutting out in volume. His voice was going. Danny slumped as the shock stopped. His head lolled lazily. Help had to be on the way. Any minute. The doors would slam open and his bindings would be removed. He could almost see Sam and Tucker's terrified faces now. Leaning over him, fussing over his injuries. They helped him out to the Speeder. Danny screamed again and his delusional dream was broken.

Slowly, those thoughts faded. He was too exhausted. His voice was gone, he couldn't hear his screams anymore. Maybe he was going deaf. Or crazy. Danny couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Would it help him cope with this never ending torture? The electrodes sparked and Danny convulsed in silence. It didn't seem to hurt as much now. Was it because he was dying? Or was the current not as strong? Either way, the convulsions were exhausting. If only he could pass out. But the electricity seemed to be often enough to shock him awake before he got the chance. Danny heard the door swing open. No. He must be crazy. He was deaf right? He couldn't hear his screams. Or was it just his voice failing? Everything grew dark as a sedative was injected in his arm.

**Hopefully that wasn't too upsetting for you guys.**

**But yep, that was the punishment after Danny used his ghostly wail. **

**No wonder he finds using that power so difficult and why he was so frightened of anger, huh?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	79. Chapter 79

Danny woke up. He wiped a hand over his face. It felt clammy. He scanned his room. Double checking he was in his bed. He shook his head. This was ridiculous. He was over this! At least he thought he was. He sat up. Maybe a walk would clear his thoughts. A flight sounded good. Danny's heart sank. He couldn't change form. That's what Frostbite had told him. And he could already sense that was true. He was far too weak. He felt just like he had after fighting the ghost king. He had to get his mind off these nightmares. Memories. He knew that if the scientists had left him in that torture much longer, he would have gone insane.

Danny got to his feet and stumbled into the small bathroom adjoining his room and turned on the shower. Maybe a shower would calm him. He felt sticky and clammy anyway and would benefit from one. He stepped out feeling a little better. He got dressed in some clean clothes and considered his bed. He shook his head. He'd try again later. He needed some time away from that horrific memory. He ran a hand through his wet hair. He towel dried it but it wouldn't be dry for a while yet. He could always go intangible, but he knew he shouldn't use his powers for a few days unless he had no alternative. He tiredly stumbled out of his room and soon heard soft clanging coming from the kitchen despite his semi-deaf state. He had to remember those ear drops. He had to get Cujo too.

He opened the door and blinked in surprise to see M'gann baking. There was no one else present.

"Hey M'gann. You alright?" Danny called as he stepped in. M'gann gave a squeak in alarm and nearly dropped her mixing bowl before turning to Danny.

"Oh, Danny. You surprised me. You still look pretty tired," M'gann replied with a concerned frown. Danny gave the Martian a weak smile, the best he could manage with his exhaustion and the memory still fresh in his mind.

"I'm fine. It's to be expected right? Give me a couple of days and I'll be back to normal," Danny assured her, trying to convince himself as much as her. He crossed the room and sat down on a chair facing the kitchen.

"What are you making?" Danny asked, deciding to start a meaningless conversation before M'gann opened one about how he felt or why he wasn't sleeping.

"Oh um… cookies at the minute. But if you want anything in particular?" M'gann answered. Danny smiled.

"Nothing comes to mind. Where's everyone else?" Danny replied.

"Sleeping. Black Canary sent us to bed after you left. None of us slept very well last night," M'gann informed him. Danny grimaced.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean-" Danny began.

"No, it's not your fault. You were trying to do something really nice. It's Doctor Fate's. If he hadn't been so… so mean. You wouldn't have gotten hurt. Or if he had at least helped," M'gann retorted with an angry frown. Danny smirked grimly.

"I kind of doubt Doctor Fate could have helped M'gann. But it wasn't really his fault either. He was just protecting himself. It could have been worse," Danny remarked. M'gann sighed away her building anger and shrugged, not wanting to dwell on that resolved crisis.

"But if everyone's asleep, why are you baking?" Danny inquired. M'gann didn't answer right away. She mixed the batter and telekinetically brought the tray to herself.

"Couldn't sleep. Not without remembering what I saw in your mind," she confessed. Danny blinked as the Martian placed the cookie mix on the tray. Danny didn't want to talk about that right now. He wanted to get his mind off that ordeal. But he felt bad that his memories were preventing someone other than himself from sleeping.

"Sorry to hear that. And, I'm really sorry for showing you that," he mumbled. M'gann glanced at the halfa and noticed how upset he looked. She bit her lip, realising that she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

She opened her mouth to reassure him only to stop. Danny hated pity. He preferred to deal with things himself and was trying to forget about those memories, like she was.

"You mentioned a ghost called Poindexter. What happened when he overshadowed you?" M'gann asked instead. Danny looked up and gave her a small grateful smile.

"He used to be a student at Casper High. He was bullied by everyone. Way I heard it, everyone pulled pranks on him, from jocks to fellow nerds. The legend goes that he was stuffed in his locker so much that his spirit became trapped inside. Well, during my early days, when I was still figuring out the basics and even what it meant to have my powers, there was a ghost fight. My locker got trashed and I was appointed a new one. Sidney Poindexter's old locker," Danny recalled, happy to remember simpler times.

M'gann nodded as she put the cookies into the oven to bake. She could already sense she'd made the right move to ask about this rather than console Danny.

"Inside the locker was a mirror. Really old. I didn't know it, but it was directly connected to Poindexter's lair in the Ghost Zone. A lair is a home for ghosts. Usually it's linked to their reason for being a ghost. Some ghosts can become so fixed on revenge or a hobby in life, they have an obsession. Poindexter's is to punish bullies who pick on nerds or geeks. Kind of like protecting them because there was no one there to protect him. Weirdly, his lair was a snapshot of his life in high school. Black and white, with the students picking on Poindexter. Poindexter isn't a strong ghost. And when he's in his lair, he has very little access to his abilities," Danny explained.

M'gann began to clean up after her baking session but she listened attentively, finding the story interesting.

"So, when I started using his old locker, I'm not sure how, but Poindexter was given more access to the school and started to haunt the bullies of the school. At the time Sam was trying to save the school lab frogs and I was getting pay back on Dash. So my friends thought I was the culprit. But Poindexter caught me getting some invisible pay back and started to attack me. I tried to defend myself but Poindexter didn't want to listen. I accidently changed back and he realised I was a halfa. It was the first time I heard the term. I started explaining what I did and mentioned that I overshadowed Dash. Actually the first time I overshadowed someone it was Dash by accident. Anyway, Poindexter got the idea to overshadow me," Danny resumed.

M'gann frowned in confusion. That didn't sound fair.

"Just because you did something to Dash as pay back?" M'gann pointed out. Danny nodded.

"You see Poindexter didn't understand that Dash was a bully. So all Poindexter saw was me shoving something like twenty frogs down Dash's pants. So Poindexter thought I was in the wrong. And I realised he was right. Just because I could, didn't mean I should," Danny explained. M'gann considered the halfa before nodding.

"So like I was saying, Poindexter overshadowed me and because it was the first time, he overpowered me and we kind of switched places. He took over my body and powers and my ghost form was banished to his lair in the Ghost Zone, as him. Poindexter, cause he didn't understand how things ran, spoke to people I wouldn't normally. He stole sodas for everyone and played football using my powers. Meanwhile, I was getting bullied by the students in Poindexter's lair. I managed to use the mirror in Poindexter's locker to contact Sam and Tucker and convinced them I was Danny. Then they helped me get Poindexter in the mirror to the lair. We fought and he overshadowed me again. I took control of my body and returned back to the Real World where I destroyed the mirror," Danny continued.

"And that was it?" M'gann asked, sitting down beside Danny having finished cleaning up. Danny shrugged.

"I got into a heap of trouble for damaging school property and got assigned a new locker beside the band room. That got a lot of teasing. But Poindexter helped Sam with her campaign. So the frogs got saved. I hear that after the kids in Poindexter's lair saw him beat up the halfa, they started to like him and he got a lot more popular," Danny concluded. M'gann hummed.

"So everyone but you benefitted?" she remarked. Danny smirked.

"You could say I learned a valuable lesson in not misusing my powers," Danny offered with a small shrug. M'gann smiled.

The timer pinged and M'gann telekinetically took out the cookies to cool.

"Does Poindexter cause any trouble for you anymore?" M'gann asked. Danny shook his head.

"He rarely leaves his lair. That's the case for a lot of ghosts. Ghosts get a bad rep because, I suppose, the villains keep coming out and causing trouble. But most stay in the Ghost Zone and mind their own business," Danny informed her. M'gann nodded.

"I guess every race has good and bad people, even ghosts," she concluded. Danny nodded in agreement. M'gann got to her feet and put the cooled cookies on to a plate and poured a couple of glasses of milk. She telekinetically brought them to the table.

"You know, it's funny. My mom has brought back tons of stuff. But never cookies for some reason. It's the one thing you can always guarantee won't try and kill you," Danny chuckled as he picked up one of the still warm treats. M'gann smirked.

"What kind of things has she brought back to life?" M'gann asked. Danny laughed.

"All sorts. A few years back the Christmas turkey came to life and tried to attack me and Jazz. Luckily Jazz was quick with the broom. A couple of years ago, Thanksgiving. She reincarnated the pumpkin pie. Almost every time she cooks hotdogs. I think it would be easier to list the stuff she hasn't," Danny recalled fondly. M'gann frowned.

"Doesn't that… worry you?" she inquired. Danny shrugged.

"It was what I grew up with. There were a few things. Like toast. I don't like that. I think it's because dad used the toaster once and it became feral when I was little. And if mom's cooking meatloaf, I eat at Tuck's. Jazz has to be more careful than me though. Since I got my powers I don't get sick if I eat stuff with ecto-contamination. Dad has an iron stomach. And mom… she must do too," Danny replied, biting into his cookie.

M'gann smiled and took a cookie for herself.

"What about Sam and Tucker?" M'gann asked.

"Sam's ultra-recylco-vegetarian. Most stuff that gets contaminated is meat. Tucker has to be careful. They usually wait for me or Jazz to give the go ahead first. Even then they mightn't eat it," Danny answered. M'gann nodded. Danny popped the rest of his cookie into his mouth before laughing when he swallowed.

"What? Is it bad?" M'gann inquired.

"No. They're delicious M'gann. I'm just remembering a bake sale at my school. Mom made cupcakes but they came to life. It was chaos. My parents were chasing them for hours and the bake sale got called off and that was the last time my mom got asked to participate," Danny recalled with a smirk.

**Aw, bonding between Danny and M'gann. **

**But will Danny get over what happened?**

**So, there's been a few questions over the last few chapters. But these ones stuck out for me.**

**In chapter 74, Sam and Tucker were talking about the Plasmius Maximus as a potential cure for Danny's flickering. Which was in the show when Danny and his mother got stuck in the Rockies with Vlad and were chased by Vlad's ghost experiments in the woods while camping.**

**Someone asked if this is set before or after the Ultimate Enemy. It is answered definitively later in the story but I'll clarify now. This story is basically taken from Danny's life after the show ended in Season 3 but Phantom Planet didn't happen. So Ultimate Enemy has happened, yes. **

**Thank you to everyone for the kind reviews and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as it comes. **

**Until the next chapter.**


	80. Chapter 80

"Do I smell cookies!?" Wally shouted as he ran into the kitchen. Danny grabbed the last cookie and bit it.

"Sorry Wally, just missed them. You'd think a speedster would get here in time," Danny joked with a grin. Wally pouted.

"No fair! I was asleep!" Wally whined.

"I'll make more," M'gann offered, getting to her feet, eager to bake more treats for her friends.

"Wait for the others. Give them a fighting chance," Danny interjected with a smirk. Wally scowled and grabbed a protein bar instead. Wally dropped into a seat beside Danny and M'gann returned to her own seat.

"So feeling better?" he asked. Danny blinked before shrugging.

"Still weak. But I'll be fine," Danny answered.

"M'gann did you get any sleep? I mean I only slept a couple of hours and in that time you've baked cookies and eaten them," Wally inquired. M'gann glanced at Danny.

"I wasn't feeling tired," M'gann lied. Wally hummed, not believing her.

"What about you Danny, you still look pretty beat," Wally commented.

"It'll take a few days for me to get over what Frostbite did. I'm fine," Danny replied. Wally raised a brow. A few minutes later Robin and Raquel entered.

"Hey guys," Raquel greeted them with a smile.

Over the next hour, the rest of the teens filtered into the room and M'gann made another batch of cookies and a batch of cupcakes for everyone. Danny grabbed Cujo and administered the medicine to his ears, and then to his own right ear. Pleasant wamth trickled down into his ear but despite it not being hot enough to hurt, Cujo glared angrily at Danny for the next twenty minutes, rubbing his ears as he sulked.

Black Canary walked in a little while later and scanned the teens present. She saw M'gann and Danny weren't rested and surmised that they couldn't sleep.

"Danny do you want to talk?" Black Canary called. Danny glanced at her and shook his head.

"I'm fine Black Canary," Danny decided, it was just a nightmarish memory. He'd get over it. He just needed a little time. Black Canary gave Danny a small nod. She knew he wouldn't talk until he was ready.

"M'gann?" Black Canary asked. The Martian bit her lip before she nodded and left with the heroine to tell her how the Martian couldn't get the images out of her head.

That night M'gann, having talked about everything got to sleep. But Danny had the same problem. The same nightmare. He got up early the next morning, giving up on sleep and had another shower, once again clammy. He took Cujo for a walk across the beach instead. It was still dark out but that didn't bother either of them. It was a crisp November morning. Danny returned once the sun came up. At least he'd recovered enough to walk around with ease. He didn't dare try a run yet and he knew that using his powers wasn't advisable. At least not yet. M'gann got up an hour later and served breakfast. She frowned at the halfa as he gave her a tired greeting.

"Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

"A bit. Woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep," Danny answered. M'gann sighed, knowing he was lying and clearly was having problems.

"If you talked to Black Canary-" M'gann began.

"M'gann, I appreciate it. But I don't need to talk about it. I'll be fine. Just give me some time. And thanks for not telling the others. I don't want to make this a big deal," Danny interrupted. M'gann bit her lip but nodded.

"Alright. But… talking helps. All I'm saying," M'gann retorted.

"M'gann, I have talked about this. It didn't help," Danny snapped. He instantly regretted it. M'gann was just trying to help.

"Sorry, I… I just need some time," Danny mumbled. M'gann nodded.

She was starting to reconsider not telling anyone else that Danny was having trouble sleeping. If she said something, would Danny get the help he was refusing to ask for? Or would it just upset him and make things harder? M'gann sighed. They had school today. Maybe a conversation with one of her friends from school would help. She wouldn't explain everything, only the bones of her dilemma. But an outside view might help.

A couple of hours later, the teens were setting off to school. The team had all returned to their homes for the previous night. Danny, Garfield and Danielle sat at the table with Red Tornado lecturing them. Danny found focusing very difficult in his sleep-deprived state. The others could see it instantly. Red Tornado even did a discrete scan to check the halfa's health, noticing the melatonin levels were irregular. The android knew from that that Danny wasn't sleeping, or at least not sleeping enough. At the end, Danny and Garfield were excused while Danielle had her extra lesson. She soon wouldn't require it. Garfield went to the training room to meet Black Canary who was helping him to figure out the best fighting techniques for his different animal shapeshifts. Danny was excused from all training until he recovered. Instead he grabbed Cujo and put the medicine in their ears and while Cujo sulked, rubbing his ears in discomfort, Danny lay down on his bed and decided to try and get some sleep.

He shut his eyes and he was strapped to the table, covering in blood blossoms and ecto-ranium, being shocked with electricity, slowly being driven mad. As usual, in his dream he was sedated before he woke up. He was clammy and adrenaline was pumping. He ran his shaky hands over his face and glanced at the time. Half an hour. That was all the sleep he managed. He could try again. Or he could have a shower and try to distract himself from the phantom smell of blood and burnt flesh in his nose. He got to his feet and showered and changed. He was running out of clothes at this rate. He left his room and walked aimlessly through the cave and across the beach. Before, he'd usually take a flight to calm down but in his weakened state, that wasn't an option.

Eventually he settled on watching the waves crash on the shore in a trance-like stupor. Cujo, done with his sulking, sat beside the halfa. And that was how the team found Danny after their training session after school. M'gann bit her lip. Her friend at school hadn't been much help. They suggested that she just be there to support him through the difficult time. But they didn't know Danny. Danny refused to rely on someone like that. It was almost like he had to feel strong and stand by himself. Like he was afraid to need that support.

"Is he okay?" Artemis whispered to no one in particular. M'gann bit her lip but decided to keep quiet for now. If they figured it out by themselves, she'd confirm it but she wouldn't breach that trust Danny seemed to have made with her.

"I feel like there's something up but he doesn't want us to know," Robin muttered.

"I'm not sure he's sleeping. He wasn't this bad though before," Wally added.

"Well, let's ask him," Danielle decided.

"Dani! No, he won't say if there's something up," Raquel hissed but the female halfa ignored the protest and walked over to Danny and sat beside him.

"Hey Danny," Danielle called brightly. Danny blinked and turned to her.

"Dani, I though you guys had training," he mumbled.

"That's over. Are you okay? You look really tired," Danielle replied, scratching Cujo behind the ear as he lifted his head curiously. Danny shrugged.

"I'll be fine," he answered, turning back to the waves.

"Danny, I want to help," Danielle offered. Danny shook his head.

"Give me a few days. It's just this ghost energy settling tiring me out," Danny lied. Danielle scowled.

"Then you should be sleeping more," she retorted. Danny didn't reply.

"Danny, please. Tell me what's wrong," Danielle pleaded.

"Nothing's wrong Dani," Danny assured her. There wasn't anything she could do. It was in his mind and in his past. He wasn't going to take a sleeping aid. So he'd just have to work through this.

Danielle glanced at the group of teens and shrugged. Danny wasn't admitting to having problems. The group gave a collective sigh of disappointment. It was no secret that Danny generally confided with Danielle or Black Canary the most. If he refused to talk to either of them, then he wasn't going to tell the others anything. The teens decided to try and do what they could and that was distract Danny from his dark thoughts and be there for him as best they could.

The next night was just as bad for Danny. And the following day he spent in a sleep-deprived stupor trying to focus on what he was supposed to do. While the others trained, Danny treated Cujo and himself with the ear drops before trying to sleep. But the nightmare still haunted him. The teens found Danny on the beach again the next day. By the weekend, Danny could hardly focus on anything at all. He had recovered a great deal though from the Doctor Fate incident. Black Canary was getting worried about Danny. But she knew she wouldn't get him to open up to her until he was ready. But she did make sure that he knew she was there for him.

That Saturday, Batman arrived at the cave. Danny looked exhausted despite no longer feeling weak. It startled the dark knight to see the teen looking so weary. It was a little how he looked during the first couple of weeks after the team saved him.

"I have a mission for the team," he announced.

"Cool! What is it?" Wally exclaimed. The team hadn't been as active since the Light's plotting last New Year and even less so since Danny arrived at Mount Justice.

"Lex Luthor is shipping cargo to Bialya. Since both Luthor and Queen Bee are established members of the Light, the League are concerned about what is being sent. Your job will be to infiltrate, identify the cargo and act accordingly," Batman explained. Kaldur nodded.

"Will the entire team be sent?" the Atlantean inquired, glancing at Danny. Batman considered the halfa. Despite his exhaustion, Danny looked alert and attentive. Batman nodded.

"Yes, it'll be your first proper mission with your new member. Remember Danny, Kaldur is leader," Batman decided. Danny nodded.

"Got it," Danny retorted.

Batman watched the team run off to the Bioship, Danielle and Garfield sulking already.

"Are you sure sending Danny was a good idea?" Black Canary asked. Batman sighed.

"Maybe this is just what he needs. Remember how he opened up to you after that unsanctioned mission to rescue Danielle. Maybe it'll happen again. Hopefully without such volatile consequences," Batman replied. Black Canary nodded.

"I hope you're right. I don't understand what's caused this regression. I know he had a panic-induced flash back but the last two times that happened they drove him to try and improve. This time… he's getting worse. I watched the security footage. He's getting up earlier and earlier," Black Canary muttered helplessly. Batman's ever present frown deepened in concern.

**Hmm… Will the mission go well?**

**Will Danny confide in Black Canary or the team?**

**Will the halfa be alright?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	81. Chapter 81

It was getting dark by the time the team arrived at the dock Luthor was using. There were guards everywhere and they were considering their next move. Aqualad scanned the others. Danny was in ghost form. Kid Flash, Artemis and Aqualad were in their stealth mode uniform. Superboy had his usual jeans and Superman shirt on. Miss Martian was in her uniform and Martian form. They wanted this mission. But Aqualad wasn't sure Danny was ready.

"_Link established_," Miss Martian informed the team telepathically. Aqualad nodded.

"_Alright. M'gann, Danny, fly above and scope out what we're dealing with. Report back and do not engage in conflict. Understood_?" Aqualad decided. They both nodded. Danny turned invisible and floated up into the darkening sky. Miss Martian pulled her hood up and entered her camouflage mode before following the halfa.

"_There's a lot of crates_," Miss Martian commented.

"_Set out like a maze. It would be easy to get lost in those stacks. The centre hasn't that many guards though_," Danny reported. Aqualad blinked at the report. He hadn't expected that from the halfa but then he recalled that Danny wasn't a newbie. He had been doing the "hero" thing for a couple of years by himself.

"_Could mean that they don't want to protect that area_," Kid Flash suggested.

"_It could. Or it could mean that they don't want to draw attention to it. Pull our attention elsewhere_," Robin countered.

"_But that would mean they'd expect us to be here_," Artemis remarked.

"_Not really. It just means they're being careful. Luthor knows the League knows about them. He'd be a fool not to suspect some investigation_," Robin retorted.

"_Could be a trap_," Danny added. The team paused and realised that Danny could be right.

"_Then we stay in large groups. Two teams_," Aqualad concluded.

Danny and Miss Martian returned and Aqualad considered the team members. Danny was discrete and good at long range fights. Robin was also discrete and good at short range. Kid Flash and Artemis worked well together too. Danny could make shields and so could Rocket. They'd seen that mixing magic and ghosts could be dangerous. Aqualad nodded to himself, coming to a decision on the teams.

"_Okay, Danny, Robin, Wally and Artemis. You're team alpha. Get into that warehouse and try to access the digital records of this shipping to Bialya. M'gann, Raquel, Conner, Zatanna and myself will be team beta. We'll go into the cargo maze and look for clues. Keep in telepathic contact. Any issues, alert us,_" Aqualad ordered. The teens nodded and split up.

So far so good. Robin got into the office with minimal trouble and unseen. Danny, Kid Flash and Artemis stood guard while Robin downloaded data and scanned security footage to help team beta's search. Within a few minutes Robin concluded that something was in the unguarded section, but the footage and files didn't identify what. Aqualad then decided that both teams should converge on that location in case it was a trap. Luthor couldn't expect the entire team to be there, right? They might have the element of surprise that way.

Unseen, and using both Miss Martian and Danny as navigators, the teams arrived at the unguarded section.

"_Now what do we do? Search these shipping containers_?" Zatanna asked. Aqualad nodded. That was the mission. Find the cargo and deal with it. However a few minutes later, Danny gasped.

"_Er guys. We've got a problem. Ghost sense,_" Danny warned. Everyone turned to him as he scanned the area in a ready position. His ghostly eyes were drooping and red but he forced them to focus on the dim dock, glaring into darkened corners.

"_Any idea where from_?" Robin inquired. Every time a ghost attacked, the team had been powerless to help Danny. Danny shook his head.

"_My ghost sense isn't a radar. More like an alarm. I know there's a ghost, I just can't tell where they are. And I'm not even sure how far my sense reaches_," Danny admitted.

The team glanced at each other. Danny scanned the area tensely.

"Come on, where are you?" he muttered to himself. Danny scowled at the shadows before yelping in alarm as a green being with sown eyes and mouth appeared and grabbed his arms. Danny growled and channelled his ice powers. He phased out of the ghost's grip and punched the ghost ice statue which shattered.

"That was easy," Kid Flash mumbled with relief.

"_It's not over guys_," Danny retorted, scanning the area, ready for danger to reveal itself.

"Show yourself Nocturne!" Danny called. The team blinked in surprise as a being with a body like a starry night sky and a purple face, complete with purple, curved horns and malicious, red eyes appeared.

"Good evening ghost boy," Nocturne chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Danny demanded. Nocturne chuckled.

"That's my business. But I can't let you leave," Nocturne retorted. Danny charged his hands with ghost energy in clear threat.

"Try it," he growled.

"Sleep walkers, form!" Nocturne commanded. Twenty green ghosts appeared around the team. Danny glared at Nocturne. He fired three quick shots and destroyed three sleep walkers. He charged at Nocturne while the rest of the team tried to hold off the sleepwalkers. Danny blasted the horned ghost with ice energy. Nocturne smashed the ice around him and smirked at Danny.

"You look tired ghost boy. Allow me to help you," Nocturne taunted.

"In your dreams," Danny snarled and punched the ghost in the stomach area. Nocturne stumbled back. The ghost quickly recovered though.

While Danny fought Nocturne, the others tried to defend themselves against the sleepwalkers. The minion-like ghosts weren't smart but they were persistent and outnumbered the teens. Also, their physical attacks had no effect. Intangibility was a difficult ability to work past. Superboy, Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad were helpless. Artemis could use her arrows but it was pot luck if they actually hit or affected the ghosts. Rocket used her kinetic shields to protect the vulnerable boys and to contain Artemis's gas arrows and any nearby ghosts. She was being pushed to her limits. Miss Martian and Zatanna had the most luck. Zatanna was almost constantly muttering backwards words under her breath causing ghosts to freeze in place or to be bound in ropes. The spells had limited effect though. Miss Martian used her telekinesis to throw ghosts away from the team and tried to telepathically knock them out. The problem was, these ghosts, they were mindless. Telepathic attacks had a limited effect on mindless beings.

The sleepwalkers soon overwhelmed the teens when Rocket's belt shorted out from the strenuous usage. Unable to do anything without endangering their team mates, Zatanna and Miss Martian had to stop fighting. Danny however was another story. He was still going in his fight against Nocturne. Punching, kicking and blasting Nocturne with ghost energy, as fast and vicious as he was capable of. But the ghost just stumbled before turning back to the halfa and smirked. Danny growled in frustration, his lack of sleep was catching up with him but he refused to let it show. Nocturne glanced at the subdued teens and grinned in triumph.

"I recommend you stop this ghost boy. If you don't, I may be forced to make your new friends sleep permanently," Nocturne threatened. Danny glanced their way and gasped. He stopped attacking immediately but he hadn't surrendered just yet, with ghost rays glowing in his hands and crouched in a ready position.

"Now, I believe this is the point I say sweet dreams," Nocturne chuckled and a breeze filled with sparkling sleep dust coated the area. The teens felt their eyes grow heavy.

"_Guys… listen! Nocturne… he's the ghost… ghost of sleep_," Danny informed the team over the mind link before reverting to human as he collapsed. Danny reasoned with the last of his conscious thinking that it would be best to be human and to hide his ecto-signature while he and the others were unconscious, especially since they weren't in the cave. Nocturne smiled.

The sound of applause came from a shadow.

"Well done Nocturne. I knew we could count on you to put them to sleep," a teen boy with pale skin and dark hair praised condescendingly wearing a suit and accompanied by a cat with unique stripy markings.

"Klarion. I did as you requested. Now, release me from this spell!" Nocturne hissed. Klarion waved a hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, I'll get to that in a minute. First, put the baby heroes in that shipping container. We'll send them to Queen Bee. The clone might be salvageable and the archer is wanted by Sportsmaster. Then you can carry the halfa to the vehicle waiting," Klarion ordered. Nocturne gritted his teeth but clicked his shadowy fingers. The green ghosts complied with the witch boy's commands.

Nocturne frowned though as he sensed something wrong.

"Was one of the teens a telepath?" Nocturne inquired.

"Yeah, think so. The girl is a Martian," Klarion answered as he examined his hand with a bored expression.

"Then, we have limited time. They are connected in their dreams. And the halfa knows how to break my sleep spell. Also, I have no control over their dreams. Usually I can point it into something positive or negative, but since the telepath is interfering, that isn't possible. They will dictate it themselves," Nocturne warned. Klarion frowned.

"Then I will not free you until we have the halfa where we want him," Klarion decided. Nocturne's red eyes widened in alarm.

"No! Release me! The spell is agonising!" Nocturne begged. Klarion chuckled.

"I don't care about that. When we have what we want, I'll release the spell. Until then, you are bound to me!" Klarion replied with a stern scowl.

Once the team was locked into a shipping container, Nocturne obediently joined Klarion in the van Danny was placed in. The van drove off, its occupants ignorant to the distress signal Robin activated during the fight against Nocturne and his sleepwalkers.

**Oh no! The Light have captured Danny and the team!**

**Will Batman rescue them all before Queen Bee gets them?**

**Will they find Danny before anything bad happens?**

**What will the Light do to our favourite halfa if they don't save him in time?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	82. Chapter 82

M'gann, now Megan Morse, scanned the school gym. Everyone was present. Conner, Karen, Mal, even the teachers. They were waiting for an important announcement. Mars and Earth were officially going to sign a treaty to make them sister planets, giving free travel and equal rights to each other's inhabitants. It was a proud day for everyone. Megan watched the projected image of her Uncle J'onn step forward as Mars' ambassador to sign the treaty. Earth would now welcome her kind. Maybe she could even reveal her Martian heritage to her human friends outside Mount Justice. Conner took her hand and smiled warmly at her. Megan sighed happily. This was a dream come true. She frowned. Dream? Danny's warning echoed in her mind. Nocturne is the ghost of sleep.

"Conner, how did we beat Nocturne?" Megan whispered. Conner raised a confused eyebrow.

"Nocturne? What are you talking about?" Conner retorted. Megan scowled.

"We had a mission. At the docks. Luthor was shipping something to Queen Bee. Remember? A ghost attacked us and we got caught. How did we beat him? Did Danny do something?" Megan explained. Conner looked even more confused.

"I don't think that happened M'gann," Conner muttered. Megan blinked in shock before reaching her mind out to Conner's.

"Hey Wolf!" Conner's voice exclaimed happily. Megan's eyes snapped open. That didn't make sense!

"Conner, why are you thinking about Wolf?" Megan asked.

"Wolf? Why would I be thinking about Wolf? We're at school watching this planet and Mars sign this treaty," Conner replied, equally confused. Megan took a step back from Conner, pulling her hand out of his grasp gently.

"Conner you're scaring me. And come to think of it, it was Saturday. Why are we at school?" Megan muttered.

"Saturday? M'gann, it's Tuesday," Conner corrected worriedly.

Megan spun around to see the others in the gym start applauding. The treaty was signed.

"I never heard about this treaty until now," she mumbled to herself.

"M'gann, this has been in the works for a couple of months! Are you alright?" Conner exclaimed with concern. Megan bit her lip before shaking her head. Something was wrong here.

"I-I'm not feeling well Conner. I'm going home. See you," Megan excused herself and left before Conner could question her.

She reached her mind out to Conner again. He was laughing. Happily. That wasn't right. She knew Conner would be upset about her leaving. There was something very wrong going on. She stepped into an empty classroom and shifted her appearance from Megan Morse to Miss Martian and flew to the cave on the other side of Happy Harbour. She landed outside and entered the cave. She rushed through the corridors and found Danielle, Garfield and Danny in the middle of a lesson with Red Tornado.

"M'gann! What are you doing here? Don't you have school?" Danny exclaimed in surprise. M'gann shook her head, that didn't matter.

"I think there's something wrong. Danny how did we beat Nocturne?" M'gann replied. Danny frowned in confusion.

"How do you know about him?" Danny asked.

"Because he attacked us at the dock! You have to remember that! You told us he's the ghost of sleep!" M'gann retorted worriedly. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know about any docks. But Nocturne is the ghost of sleep. How did you know that?" Danny inquired. M'gann blinked.

She knew it was wrong. But this was urgent. She reached out to his mind. She flinched as she heard a bloodcurdling scream.

"M'gann, are you alright?" Garfield asked, jumping to his feet and to her side.

"Ye-yeah. I… I'm sorry Danny. I reached out to your mind. Why are you screaming?" M'gann admitted. Danny frowned.

"I'm not screaming," he stated.

"But, I heard it!" M'gann insisted. Danny shook his head slowly. M'gann blinked in confusion at him.

"But… I did. And I heard Conner laughing when he shouldn't have been. This doesn't make sense!" M'gann muttered.

"M'gann, perhaps you are tired. You have been very busy recently preparing the treaty with Martian Manhunter," Red Tornado suggested. M'gann blinked.

"That's another thing. I don't remember this treaty being organised. At all," she confessed with a thoughtful frown.

"M'gann, you're starting to worry us," Danielle ventured and got out of her seat. M'gann turned to Danny.

"How did you beat Nocturne!?" she demanded to know. Danny blinked in surprise.

"He er… he er attacked Amity Park once. Not much to tell really. We fought and I used my ghostly wail to beat all his sleepwalkers and sucked him into a thermos," Danny answered. M'gann shook her head. It couldn't be that easy. Danny had been struggling at the docks. If it was that easy, he could have easily beaten him. Ghostly wail or not. She was missing something and she knew it.

She reached out to Danny's mind again and suddenly saw an image of a white room and smelt blood. She gasped and withdrew from the image. She tried to connect with Danielle and Garfield but something was blocking her. It was like they were too far away. She frowned and tried to connect with Kaldur. He sometimes spent time in the cave during the day. And he'd tell the truth. She then heard a long string of Atlantean words.

"_Kaldur, can you hear me_?" she asked telepathically.

"_M'gann? Are you here in Atlantis?! Where are you? I'll be there in a moment_," Kaldur answered in kind with surprised excitement. M'gann blinked in shock. Kaldur was in Atlantis! But that was miles away, way out of her telepathic range.

She opened her eyes and ignored the worried looks from the others. She took a deep breath and reconnected with Kaldur. But this time, she telepathically drew him closer to her. Suddenly everything around her seemed to ripple and blur and she found herself unable to breathe. She instinctively shapeshifted a set of working gills into her neck and opened her eyes.

"M'gann! How? How did you do that!?" Kaldur exclaimed in alarm. Then M'gann realised that she had brought herself to Atlantis. That wasn't possible for a Martian!

She scanned the area around her. Kaldur was surrounded by a number of Atlanteans, most humanoid, but not all.

"Kaldur, how did we beat Nocturne?" she asked, ignoring his question. Kaldur opened his mouth before frowning.

"I don't recall beating him. Actually, I don't recall coming to Atlantis and starting this class," Kaldur admitted. M'gann breathed a sigh of relief. Kaldur remembered that fight. It did happen after all!

"Do you know?" Kaldur inquired and M'gann shook her head.

"No. It's weird. I asked everyone I met and they all said it didn't happen. But if I read their minds they were thinking something completely different. Danny was mentally screaming and Conner was laughing. I couldn't connect to Danielle or Gar either. And there was this treaty between Earth and Mars I didn't know anything about too," M'gann recounted.

Kaldur blinked in confusion.

"Treaty? I have heard nothing of that. Have any of you?" he replied and asked the Atlanteans around them. They all shook their heads. Kaldur turned to M'gann.

"How did you get here? Perhaps that holds the answer," Kaldur inquired. M'gann frowned.

"I connected telepathically with you and somehow, I pulled myself to you. It's not possible. I've never heard of any Martian capable of doing that," M'gann admitted.

"We should find Robin. Together, we may be able to understand the situation better," Kaldur decided. M'gann nodded and reached telepathically for Robin. She gasped as she found him. There was applause and a narrating voice talking about the Flying Graysons.

"Hold my hand," she ordered softly, keeping her concentration as Kaldur obeyed. Then M'gann pulled herself and Kaldur towards Robin.

The cheering around them was deafening.

"And now Aqualad and a Martian girl have appeared in the centre ring!" a man exclaimed into a microphone. M'gann and Kaldur turned to the voice and saw a plump ringmaster. They looked up and saw a man, woman and a boy swinging through the air with perfect grace. M'gann gasped.

"That looks like Robin," she realised and pointed to the youngest acrobat above them. Kaldur followed the Martian's gaze and nodded as he recognised the teen also.

"Robin!" M'gann shouted. The acrobat glanced at them before frowning and flipped to a handrail. A few minutes later the act was over and the teen beckoned them backstage.

"What are you guys doing here?" he hissed.

"What are you doing?" M'gann asked, nodding to the tight performing outfit Robin was wearing, complete with glittering eye mask.

"What does it look like? I joined back up when my parents turned up alive and well a month ago," Robin answered.

"You remember that?" Kaldur inquired with a slight frown. Robin bit his lip.

"No, but… they _are_ my parents. And they wouldn't lie to me," Robin muttered.

"Do you remember fighting Nocturne?" M'gann questioned. Robin blinked before nodding.

"Yeah, but I can't remember how we beat him," Robin admitted.

"Neither can we. And we don't understand what's going on. I ended up in Atlantis teaching a lesson on surface life," Kaldur confirmed.

"And I ended up in my school watching a treaty being signed between Mars and Earth. And whenever I connected telepathically with Conner or Danny, their thoughts were all wrong. Conner was laughing but Danny was screaming. Neither made sense in the moment," M'gann explained. Robin frowned as he folded his arms.

"And no one but us remembered facing Nocturne. When I asked Danny, he said he beat Nocturne easily when he met him. But that doesn't make sense does it?" M'gann added. Robin put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Ghost of sleep. Maybe… maybe we're dreaming," Robin whispered.

Kaldur and M'gann blinked in surprise but it made a lot of sense.

"Then the weird thoughts…" M'gann blinked.

"Maybe glimpses into other dreams," Robin offered.

"But Danny… he was screaming," M'gann whispered.

"A nightmare maybe," Robin decided. Kaldur turned to M'gann.

"Take us to Danny. Now," Kaldur ordered, concern filling his eyes. M'gann nodded and grabbed both boys' hands. She closed her eyes and flinched as she heard a loud scream. With difficulty, she pulled herself towards the screaming.

**Yep, they've all taken a trip to dream land. How will they wake up?**

**What will they find in Danny's dream?**

**If they wake up, where will they find themselves?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	83. Chapter 83

M'gann opened her eyes. Robin was back in his normal uniform now. All three were shocked by the sight in front of them. Danny, in his human form without a shirt, was covered in red petals, green metal and electrodes. The metal shards were stabbed into Danny's flesh, covered in sickeningly red blood. The smell of burnt flesh and blood filled the room. Then the buzz of electricity reached their ears and Danny screamed in agony. His body convulsed and he pulled blindly at his bonds. The glowing green cuffs cut into Danny's wrists and ankles, deepening the wounds. One hand fisted, but the other hung limply, broken. He slumped and stopped screeching in agony.

Robin rushed to Danny's side, M'gann was frozen in horror, recognising the horrific sight from seeing Danny's memories.

"Danny!? Can you hear me? Danny!?" Robin shouted fearfully. Danny opened an exhausted eye.

"Rob?" he croaked.

"Hang on," Robin replied and yanked the electrodes off of Danny's bare torso. He grimaced at the electrical burns beneath. Next the boy wonder turned to the metal shards. He, as gently as possible, removed each shard and dropped them to the ground. Then the boy brushed the flowers off of the halfa.

Danny meanwhile took deep breaths and calmed himself down.

"Need… need to… destroy the flowers," Danny mumbled tiredly. Robin blinked before nodding and gathered the flowers and bit his lip.

"Edible," Danny added hoarsely. Robin glanced at Danny before handing a portion to the other two and they ate the flowers. Danny gave them a weak smile of gratitude. Kaldur pulled out his water bearers and managed to gather enough water together to form a sharp dagger-like blade and slashed the ghost-proof cuffs.

Danny struggled to sit up and Kaldur offered himself to support the halfa.

"What a dream," Robin muttered.

"Not a dream. A memory. One I can't escape," Danny corrected. The three teens stared at Danny.

"This is why you can't sleep," M'gann realised. Danny sighed and nodded.

"Every time I fall asleep, I'm here," Danny admitted with a grim frown, haunted eyes swept across the scene.

"The punishment after you used your ghostly wail," Robin muttered in realisation. Danny sighed and nodded again.

"I… I nearly went insane," Danny confessed, avoiding the others' eyes as they stared at him in shock.

"Do you remember Nocturne?" M'gann asked. Danny scowled, his resolve returning instantly.

"I remember him alright. This is the second time he's put me to sleep," Danny growled.

"Huh?" Robin questioned.

"Nocturne attacked Amity Park. Put the entire town to sleep to use their dreams to make himself stronger. I managed to wake myself up and Sam, Tucker and Jazz. Together we beat him. The whole town put it down to a good night's sleep," Danny elaborated.

"Good night's sleep?" Kaldur repeated. Danny nodded tiredly.

"Last time Nocturne gave everyone good dreams. He only gets power when you're asleep. Nightmares tend to wake people up," Danny explained with a grim nod.

"Then why did…?" Robin began. Danny shrugged.

"Maybe because it's all I've dreamt about for a while now," Danny offered.

"How are you here though? Overshadowing can get you into dreams but… you can't overshadow," Danny inquired. M'gann glanced at the other two boys.

"I can read the other's minds. Er, dreams. When I do that, I can pull myself into that dream and I brought Robin and Kaldur with me," M'gann informed him. Danny blinked.

"So you three are still asleep then?" Danny asked. M'gann nodded.

"We should find the others," Danny decided and with Kaldur's help, got off the table. His ankle gave way under him but Kaldur caught the injured halfa before he hit the floor.

Danny gave the Atlantean a grateful smile. M'gann took their hands and decided to take them to Conner next. They soon appeared on the beach outside Mount Justice. Conner was playing with Wolf happily. Danny took a step away from Kaldur now fully healed. He took a deep breath, getting over his dream. The calming waves and cool breeze were helping a lot. M'gann took a hesitant step forward. Conner faltered and spotted them.

"M'gann?! Robin, Kaldur, Danny?! What are you guys doing here?" he called.

"Conner…" M'gann began uncertainly.

"Conner, you remember Nocturne, right? None of this is real. It's a dream," Danny took over. The clone frowned.

"But…" he muttered.

"It always feels real. Trust me. But it isn't. Can you remember how you came to this beach?" Danny interjected. The clone shook his head and glanced at Wolf.

"So, that isn't Wolf?" Conner mumbled with disappointed realisation.

"Call him Dream Wolf," Danny corrected with a gentle smile. Conner sighed and nodded. He joined them and M'gann took them one by one to the other dreams.

Wally was having a dream of having his ideal date with Artemis, involving plenty of food. Artemis was dreaming about a better home life where both her father and sister had turned away from crime. Raquel dreamt about becoming a respected member of the Justice League.

Finally it came to Zatanna. They appeared in the cave. Zatanna was alone with a man Danny had only met once, Zatara. They were talking with the Helmet of Fate on a table nearby. No one wanted to interrupt the innocent dream. But the team was a large group and they were very noticeable in their various uniforms, Danny in ghost form.

"What are you guys doing here? You just left. And you weren't in uniform. Please don't say we have a mission right now," Zatanna asked them, disappointment shining in her eyes.

"Zee, do you remember Nocturne?" Wally inquired. The magician girl nodded.

"Do you remember how we beat him?" Kaldur ventured. Zatanna blinked before frowning.

"Danny did, didn't he?" Zatanna offered. Danny shook his head.

"This is a dream," he told her.

"No! It can't be! Nabu gave me back my dad," Zatanna exclaimed desperation joining the disappointment in her eyes. Everyone felt horrible.

"Zatara, it's Danny. We didn't get the chance to properly introduce ourselves," Danny introduced himself to the adult man. Zatara smiled.

"Pleased to meet you and I'm glad to see you're fine. It's nice to have a name," Zatara replied.

"Except, you already knew my name," Danny interjected knowing that the Dream Zatara would only know what Zatanna knew and Zatannna didn't know what happened when Danny overshadowed Doctor Fate. Zatara scowled in confusion.

"You see Zatanna. I'm sorry, but this isn't your dad," Danny added sadly. Zatanna shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. Zatanna hugged her father before wiping the tears away and turned her back on the dream.

"This is Nocturne's doing isn't it?" Zatanna realised with a furious glint in her eyes. Danny nodded.

"This does feel like his handiwork. I'm really sorry Zee," Danny replied. Zatanna shook her head.

"It's fine. But Nocturne will regret this, mark my words," Zatanna hissed.

Danny scanned the gathered teens and knew what he had to do. The only way to wake up was to shock someone awake. Kissing Sam had worked for him the first time. He lifted a hand and charged it with ghost energy. He then turned to Artemis and viciously blasted her in the chest. Caught unawares, Artemis was thrown off her feet into the wall behind her before vanishing, having woken up.

"Danny!?" Raquel shouted in shock and Danny blasted her next. The surprise having worn off, the others began to fight back. Danny gritted his teeth but he didn't let up. He blasted them one by one until Zatanna, M'gann and Robin were left.

He blasted Zatanna and she vanished. The entire cave began to shudder like it was going to collapse. Danny knew that Zatanna's dream world was breaking down. He blasted M'gann before she pulled them into another dream. The Martian disappeared.

"Danny, why are you doing this!?" Robin demanded. Danny paused.

"I have ghost files on my laptop," he replied and blasted Robin. With the team gone, Zatanna's dream world crumbled and was replaced with Danny's.

A scientist walked in and saw Danny free. The halfa gulped. He didn't expect to escape the dream. His torture at the Guys in White's hands didn't shock him. They were memories. Twenty men rushed into the room and shot him with a paralysing dart, the same they used on Danielle. They dragged him back to the table and strapped the ghost-proof cuffs back in place. The ecto-ranium and electrodes were replaced and more blood blossoms were retrieved. Within minutes, Danny was back in his nightmarish agony, doomed to endure it until the scientists decided to sedate him which he could only hope would end the dream.

Robin opened his eyes and groggily sat up. The first thing he saw was a rocky ceiling. He was back at Mount Justice.

"Batman, Robin has woken up as well," Red Tornado reported. Robin blinked and saw his team mates getting up and Black Canary, Batman, Red Tornado, Danielle and Garfield fussing over them all.

"Good," Batman retorted and crossed the room to Robin's side. Years working with the dark knight was the only way for Robin to see Batman's relief.

"How did we get here?" Robin asked.

"I responded to your distress signal. We infiltrated the docks and found you all locked in a shipping container, unconscious. We brought you all here," Batman explained.

"Did you find Nocturne?" Conner asked.

"Nocturne?" Black Canary repeated.

"Yeah, a ghost. He attacked us. He overwhelmed us and put us to sleep," Zatanna elaborated.

"Right Danny?" Artemis added and looked around, but there was no sign of the halfa.

"Danny wasn't with you," Batman interjected.

"Maybe he went after Nocturne when he knocked you guys out," Garfield suggested. The teens shook their heads.

"No, he was knocked out too. Somehow we could get into each other's dreams and Danny was there," Wally retorted, everyone was starting to get worried.

"Are we sure that was Danny? He did attack us," Raquel reminded them. Robin frowned as he put his mind to the current mystery.

"How did you wake us up?" Robin inquired. Batman shook his head.

"We didn't. Nothing we did helped," Red Tornado admitted.

Robin glanced at the others. They woke up right after Danny attacked them. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"I need to get Danny's laptop," Robin announced, pulling himself to the edge of his bed.

"Why?" Danielle interjected.

"Danny said he has ghost files on it. Maybe if we understand Nocturne better, we'll know why Danny attacked us," Robin explained. Danielle bit her lip before she left to get it. A few minutes later Robin was hacking into Danny's laptop. It wasn't too difficult to get what he wanted and before long he had Nocturne's ghost file on the screen.

He read the file of Danny's first encounter of the ghost and gasped.

"In order to wake up, I had to be surprised or shocked. The same went for Sam, Tucker and Jazz. It wasn't too hard. Tucker had a mansion and girls in his dream and I just surprised him by switching places with a girl. Jazz was a Yale professor that I told was married to Dash," Robin read out loud. He turned to the others.

"He attacked us to wake us up," Raquel muttered. Robin nodded.

"And it worked," he added.

"So… if he was also knocked out. Where is he?" Garfield voiced everyone's thoughts.

**So the team is safe and sound in the cave… except Danny.**

**Any guesses where the halfa might be?**

**Warning: the next chapter might be a little uncomfortable to read for the more sensitive of you out there. You could skip some of it but if you can, I would read it to get the full picture of Danny's situation.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	84. Chapter 84

**Warning: There are torture/experiment scenes in the second half of this chapter. I'll put a small warning just beforehand.**

Danny slowly opened his eyes as he woke up. As usual, it took being sedated for the dream to end. He frowned as he saw a ceiling above him. Wasn't he outside when Nocturne attacked? Maybe the others took him somewhere. He tried to lift his hand but he couldn't. Something was holding his hand down! Danny lifted his head and gasped. He was strapped down to a table. Glowing green cuffs on his wrists and ankles! He scanned the room, fear growing. He didn't recognise where he was. But the smell of antiseptic reminded Danny of a lab or a hospital.

His heart rate increased and his breathing became shallow. The only thing stopping him from panicking was the fact that he had no proof the team wasn't nearby. Maybe this was a misunderstanding due to him attacking them in the dream. But… he told Robin about his ghost files. They would have checked them surely. Nocturne's file would tell them that Danny had done that to wake them up. Unless… maybe this was a dream. He wasn't shocked or surprised this time. Maybe he was still trapped.

The dimly lit room suddenly brightened so much that it was blinding. A door clicked open and a bald man in a suit entered. Lex Luthor placed his hands behind his back and surveyed the dazed halfa.

"Good morning Danny. I trust you are comfortable," Luthor greeted calmly. Danny scowled.

"Let me go!" Danny growled and yanked at the cuffs on his wrists. Luthor smirked.

"I don't think so. I told you. You are far too valuable to lose. You will work for us," Luthor replied in a tone that left no room for argument. Danny gave Luthor the dirtiest look he could.

"How is your family by the way Danny? I'm afraid things got a little out of hand when we last saw one another," Luthor inquired conversationally.

"I'm not answering any questions like this!" Danny hissed. Luthor raised an eyebrow.

"I see. No matter. I'm not interested in being friends. I only want to inform you that one way or another, you will obey me. The Guys in White got your obedience once before," Luthor decided. Danny paused.

"What do you mean?" Danny whispered fearfully, unable to stop that bad feeling clenching his stomach.

"I told you Danny. As a valuable investor for the Guys in White, I am well informed on your time there. Including how disobedient and difficult you were before they were forced to punish you. A brutally harsh punishment but an effective one. And one that will be easy to replicate. It broke you. You stopped resisting and complied with most orders after that and the ones you didn't could be chalked up to other circumstances such as exhaustion," Luthor replied.

"No… you can't," Danny breathed, horrified.

"Oh, but I can. Easily. Give me a reason not to. You refuse to obey me and the Light. Your healing abilities will take care of any injuries sustained for the duration of the procedure within a matter of days. And… I don't want to be a friend, I want to be your master," Luthor retorted.

Danny shook his head.

"That… that torture! It nearly drove me insane. I won't… I can't go through that again," Danny whispered fearfully, honestly. Luthor blinked.

"Then, you'll work for me," Luthor decided. Danny bit his lip. It was either join Luthor or endure that torture and be driven insane. He promised to never turn into that twisted future self.

"Please… don't," Danny pleaded. He felt weak and foolish to be begging to Luthor but he had no choice. Even if this was a dream, which Danny doubted, he could never agree to join the Light. That future self was a killer. He wouldn't become that. Luthor frowned with displeasure.

"If you refuse, then I have to break you Danny. There is no other option. Nocturne told us about your nightmare. I know you don't want to relive that punishment. Just say yes, and you can avoid it. Will you obey me and the Light?" Luthor offered again.

Danny's heart sank. It wasn't a dream.

"Nocturne's working for you?" Danny asked warily. Luthor raised an eyebrow.

"Not willingly. An associate of mine, Klarion, cast a spell to bind the ghost to him. Nocturne had no choice but to obey if he wanted freedom," Luthor answered.

"Then why can't…?" Danny began.

"Why can't we do the same to you?" Luthor finished for the halfa. Danny nodded.

"Because Nocturne still had free will. He could have defied Klarion. He would have risked punishment and never being freed though. Something I know you wouldn't care about if you were really against what you were ordered to do," Luthor admitted. Danny gulped nervously as he knew Luthor was right.

Luthor sighed.

"Danny, it doesn't need to be like this. Embrace your ghost half and give in to that destructive potential," Luthor requested.

"What you're asking me to do would destroy everything, believe me. If I do what you want, I would not be controlled. I would kill thousands and destroy the Ghost Zone with no one to stand against me," Danny warned. Luthor smirked.

"I think you're underestimating the Light Danny," Luthor remarked.

"No. You're underestimating me," Danny stated.

Luthor frowned. He glanced at a mirror behind Danny and gave a curt nod. The door clicked open and a robot with a glass dome containing a brain trundled in with a massive gorilla with a beret and a strap filled with bullets across its chest for an assistant.

"If you refuse, then I leave you in the Brain's care," Luthor concluded and left. Danny watched Luthor leave and turned to the machine with a brain in the top. Danny gulped as the robot neared the halfa.

"I have been told not to do lasting damage. But now that you are here, I can't pass up the opportunity to examine such an intriguing specimen," the Brain admitted with a heavy French accent. Danny watched the robot fearfully as it approached him.

**(Warning: this is the disturbing bit. Honestly found it hard to write)**

"Monsieur Mallah, remove the garments on the specimen," the Brain ordered. The gorilla stepped forward and ripped Danny's shirt off without hesitation. The gorilla then ripped the teen's jeans, shoes and socks off and threw them unceremoniously into a corner, now torn rags.

"That's enough for now," the Brain interjected before the gorilla removed Danny's boxers. Danny stared at the robot as a mechanical arm extended out drew an invisible line from his neck to his navel, frozen with fear, weeks of conditioning at the hands of the Guys in White returning to him.

"Intéressant. So human," the robot muttered. Danny shivered as the metal ran along his skin.

"Monsieur Mallah, fetch the implements. Then make an incision from here to here," the Brain ordered and pointed from Danny's clavicle to just above Danny's navel. Danny's heart sped up. That was an autopsy! While human! The gorilla obeyed and Danny screamed in pain as the gorilla cut into flesh. The Brain rolled closer and examined Danny's internal organs, his rapid beating heart, hyperventilating lungs and diaphragm, stomach, liver and small intestines. The robot made a number of comments in both English and French on his findings.

"Monsieur Mallah, the boxeurs," the Brain commanded. The gorilla nodded and tore off Danny's boxers. Danny was in too much pain to notice. The Brain examined Danny's genitals.

"There are reports. But they are when you were unconscious," the Brain commented to Danny despite the halfa's agony. Danny gasped in shock as the Brain's mechanical arm touched such a private area in an extremely inappropriate and intimate way. The Brain made a comment in French.

"Change your form," the Brain ordered Danny. Danny blinked before he cried out when the Brain pulled on Danny's genitals hard.

"Change your form now!" the Brain demanded. Blinking back tears of pain and fear, Danny complied. His body was engulfed in light and his naked body was covered by his ghostly jumpsuit. His hair and eyes changed. But due to his still open torso, green blood stained the fabric almost instantly.

"Fascinant. Monsieur Mallah, remove the garments," the Brain muttered. The gorilla obeyed and Danny's body was soon naked once again, the suit broke down into vapour, no longer able to sustain itself as it was thrown to the corner with Danny's ruined clothes.

The Brain examined Danny's internal organs again and saw Danny's ice core. Danny yelped as the Brain poked the glowing ghostly organ, thankfully having access without breaking into the teen's ribcage due to his thin mechanical appendages. The organ sent a painful surge of cold through his body. The Brain hummed thoughtfully before returning to Danny's genitals.

"It was never documented how this differed," the robot remarked and once again Danny gasped in shock as the robot touched the area and examined it.

"No change in reaction," the Brain reported and then encouraged the organ to give the robot a sample. Danny felt sick and violated by this examination, even more so than the Guys in White's experimentation.

The robot soon grew bored of the autopsy and stitched up the wound in Danny's torso. Then the robot turned to the gorilla.

"I've had my fun. Retrieve the flowers and metal. I will position the electrodes," the Brain concluded. Danny was so exhausted by the autopsy that he didn't even struggle as the robot fixed electrodes on his chest. The gorilla returned and Danny hissed in discomfort as the flowers began to affect him. He was in ghost form and was affected more severely by nature. But he daren't change forms without permission. He knew how things worked. He had to behave or he was hit. Conditioning at the hands of the Guys in White was back with a vengeance. The robot took a green metal shard and stabbed it into Danny's thigh. He screamed as it began to hurt him.

The robot methodically stabbed a number of shards into Danny's body and then littered the flowers over the halfa's naked body. Once finished, the robot turned to the machine that would control the electrical charge and programmed it. He then switched it on and Danny screeched in agony as electricity surged through his body. He convulsed and pulled on his cuffs, causing bruises to form.

For a while the robot just watched before leaving to oversee other experiments. Danny was left in agony with only his thoughts which would be interrupted by an overwhelming surge of electricity. Once again, Danny tried everything to keep his mind occupied and distracted from his agony. He lost so much power that he reverted to human after a while. The only differences being a slight reduction in the effectiveness of the metal stabbed into him and the flowers burning him and the colour of his blood seeping from his numerous wounds. He hoped for rescue. He hoped to pass out. He hoped for mercy from Luthor and his Light. But it was pointless. He was gradually losing touch with reality.

**Yeah… I went there. It was a tough chapter to write but in a way I'm glad I went to such a dark place with it.**

**Let me know what you guys think of it.**

**What do you guys think will happen next?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	85. Chapter 85

Batman and Robin immediately began hacking into traffic cameras and security cameras around the docks. It didn't take long for them to spot Danny's unconscious form being carried by sleepwalkers to a van. Their concern increased as they saw Klarion get into the van and traced the van as an unmarked delivery vehicle from Lex Corp. The Light had kidnapped Danny.

Unfortunately the van left the city and was lost. They hacked into every database they could link to the Light but they found nothing. Left with no other alternative they informed Danny's family of the situation. Jazz suggested using the boo-merang and the team followed the device which thankfully picked up Danny's ecto-signature.

The team got out of the Bioship, already in camouflage mode, the tracking device grabbed by Miss Martian telekinetically before being switched off. They were ready to save their friend and team mate, they could only hope that they weren't too late. Danny's friends and family had wanted to come as well, but they were forbidden. They dealt with ghosts. This was the Light. Besides they provided the team with ghost hunting equipment, so if ghosts were involved then they were prepared. Aqualad gulped down his worries as he surveyed the dark building. It was Sunday evening. There were guards everywhere.

"_Robin, M'gann infiltrate. Conner and Artemis hang back for now. Raquel, Wally, Zatanna, start picking off those guards. I'll stay with Conner and Artemis for now. Robin, report what you find and we'll act accordingly. Go_," Aqualad delegated and the teens began the mission.

Robin hacked into a side door and both the boy wonder and a stealth mode Miss Martian crept into the complex. It wasn't as large as the Guys in White's complexes but it was protected by far more guards. All League of Shadows members. Robin led the way and they soon found a security room, Miss Martian telepathically knocking the guard out.

Luthor sighed disappointedly at the screen showing Danny. They had given the halfa new clothes, loose-fitting jogging bottoms and a t-shirt. Luthor couldn't understand it. The punishment had been almost exactly the same. True the Brain had experimented on the boy beforehand which was different from before. And the boy had been unclothed and so more exposed to the anti-ghost objects. But they had used the same voltage. A similar number of metal shards and blood blossoms. Luthor shook his head. The teen had been in his ghost form this time around also. But it hadn't taken nearly as long as the first time before Danny stopped screaming.

Something had gone wrong. Danny wasn't obedient. He was, as he warned, insane. One minute he was fine. But then the next he would lash out and scream. His ice powers were out of control. They had been forced to lock the teen in a small room without a guard, the last one was currently in hospital with hypothermia and numerous broken bones. Another thing Luthor couldn't understand was that Danny wasn't healing as quickly as the Guys in White reports suggested he would.

Luthor glanced at the report the Brain gave him. It was the post-punishment medical examination. Dislocated shoulder. Severe wounds on both wrists and ankles, a broken ankle and a sprained wrist, at least. The halfa wouldn't stay still long enough for an x-ray. His autopsy wounds, stabbings and electrical burns weren't healing either. They had also learnt that the teen was deaf in his right ear. Luthor hadn't realised their previous encounter had left such a lasting effect on the teen, but clearly it had.

The halfa was currently unconscious having worn himself out during an episode, the room coated in a thick layer of ice. Luthor was beginning to fear that the boy would freeze to death. They had been forced to restrain the teen's hands behind his back after the boy created an ice shard and attempted to kill himself. All in the space of four hours. Perhaps, the halfa was a lost cause. In his current state, there was no way the Light could utilise him. Not even as a source of information.

It seemed that certain words triggered violent outbursts and they couldn't keep track of which words were the cause. Perhaps they should cut their losses and let the Justice League find the insane teen. They could release him somewhere public in Metropolis, Star City or even Gotham. That could guarantee the teen reaching the Justice League. The heroes would help him and stop him coming after

the Light in his insane state. Luthor could well imagine the boy killing someone the way he was now. And it was a frightening thought that such a powerful ghost wanted the business man dead. Ghosts weren't easy to keep at bay.

Robin found a screen showing their halfa friend. His hands were restrained behind his back and his new clothes were stained red from hidden injuries. Miss Martian gasped.

"_We found Danny. He's hurt_," Miss Martian reported over the mind link.

"_How is he injured? Is he sedated_?" Aqualad asked.

"_We've only seen him on a security screen so far. He is unconscious but we don't know how yet_," Robin explained.

"_I'm sending Conner and Artemis to you. You may need more back up and Conner can carry Danny if he's unresponsive_," Aqualad decided. Robin nodded and watched the security screens as the duo entered the complex through the same door they did. Robin then linked his computer gauntlet to the system and froze the screens throughout the system.

Then the four teens rushed through the complex, dodging all the guards with Robin's hack into the security cameras. They reached the door Danny was behind and found numerous locks on the door. The door was also coated, as well as the room inside, with phase-proof resin. Robin glanced at his team mates before systematically undoing the locks.

Danny stirred as the sound of the door being unlocked reached his ear. He opened his eyes and saw his breath clouding in the ice-coated room. He lifted his head slowly and scanned the dimly lit room. Where was he? This wasn't Amity Park, or the cave. He wasn't with the Guys in White either. He wasn't strapped down. He tried to move his hands but they were bound. He was bound! He was trapped! He started to hyperventilate. He turned himself over onto his front and hissed with discomfort, aggravating his numerous injuries. He straightened on to his knees and stumbled to his feet. His right ankle gave way and Danny looked down. It was in a cast. That's right, it got broken. How, Danny wasn't sure. He leant against the wall, grunting as his shoulder ached. Felt like it had been dislocated recently.

His head snapped towards the door as it swung inwards. He tensed and pressed closer into the wall. A tall teen stepped inside. The male teen's broad shoulders told the halfa that he was strong. Danny gritted his teeth and reached for his ghost powers. He was too weak to change yet. But he could use his powers to a degree. If it came to it.

"Danny?" a voice called into the dimly lit room. Danny stopped. He knew that voice.

"Guys, he's awake," the voice muttered over his shoulder. Danny blinked. Conner. Now he recognised that voice. It was Conner. Did that mean rescue was here? Or was this a dream?

Three more faces appeared in the doorway. Danny shifted awkwardly on his one stable foot. Could he trust what he was seeing? Was this real?!

"Danny, we're here to save you," another voice called to him. Female this time. M'gann. Danny peered through the gloom and finally started to recognise the faces. Robin and Artemis were here as well. Danny bit his lip. This was too good to be true.

"Danny, are you… you okay?" Artemis ventured. Danny slowly shook his head, this wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"This isn't real," he whispered to himself and shut his eyes.

"Danny," Robin began, taking a step forward to reassure the halfa.

"No… no. This isn't real. No," Danny mumbled and shook his head.

"Danny, this _is_ real. We're here to save you. We're all awake. This is real," Robin assured Danny and edged closer to the halfa, M'gann shared a glance with Artemis and Superboy. Danny pressed himself into the icy wall and shook his head even more strongly.

"Stop. Just stop. This is just in my head," Danny muttered firmly. Robin edged closer still and cautiously reached out a hand. Danny just repeated the same things over and over again under his breath and shook his head.

Robin's gloved fingers brushed against the loose-fitting t-shirt Danny was wearing. Danny froze, his mutterings halting abruptly.

"This is real Danny. If it wasn't I wouldn't be able to touch you," Robin whispered and gently moved his hand to Danny's shoulder and gave the halfa a reassuring squeeze. Danny opened his eyes and glanced at Robin's gloved hand.

"We came as fast as we could. We're getting you out of here," Robin assured him. Danny looked from Robin's hand to the three teens hovering at the door.

"This is real?" Danny asked with a disbelieving but hopeful tone.

"Yes. We _are_ here Danny. Come on, I'll untie you," Robin confirmed.

The boy wonder could see that the halfa had changed. He didn't understand how exactly, but something was different about Danny. He was nervous. He was questioning reality! Maybe that was because of Nocturne, but there was so much ice around. And that usually meant Danny had a breakdown and flashbacks to his captivity with the Guys in White. What could have caused that reaction? Robin couldn't see anything but Danny being restrained.

Danny didn't move. Robin waited. They may be under time stress, but Robin could tell that if he pushed Danny it wouldn't be good. Danny slowly brought his hands into view. Robin blinked in surprise as he saw a splint on Danny's wrist. His wrists were also bandaged with blood-stained dressings. Robin edged closer to Danny's bound hands and untied the teen. The moment the softly glowing rope was removed Danny's eyes widened and he looked at Robin.

"You're really here," he whispered.

Robin nodded and cast a quick glance over the halfa. He noticed Danny's foot in a cast. Danny had been through something horrible… but his injuries had been treated. Robin gasped. Danny wasn't healing! The boy wonder recalled Frostbite's warning. Danny wouldn't heal as normal due to the ear drops he was using to cure his deafness. The ghost had advised bringing the halfa back to the Far Frozen should he get injured during that treatment.

"Danny, we'll get you to Frostbite. He can help with your injuries. But first, we need to get to the Bioship. We'll help you, don't worry. Conner," Robin assured the halfa and beckoned the clone closer. Danny tensed as Superboy walked over.

"It's alright. No rush," Robin muttered reassuringly. Danny nodded and took a deep calming breath. Superboy glanced uncertainly at Robin.

"_Guys, Danny's really nervous and scared. We have to be careful with how we approach him right now. And give him plenty of time and space_," Robin warned the team.

**Danny's been found! But will he be alright after his latest ordeal?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	86. Chapter 86

Gradually Danny allowed Superboy to support him as they walked down the corridor. Robin split his focus between a very anxious halfa and the holographic screen projected from his gauntlet showing the number of security cameras. It was a full time job and they had to take their time due to Danny's injured ankle and reluctance to be carried.

They reached the side door and cautiously made their way towards the Bioship. As they walked, a loud alarm began to blare. Danny stiffened and Superboy began to shiver as the cold radiating from Danny intensified. Robin gulped as he saw Danny starting to fret.

"Superboy, get to the Bioship. It's alright Danny, you're safe now. We'll protect you and get you to Frostbite," Robin muttered. Danny nodded stiffly and Superboy urged the halfa to keep going. Danny started to limp forward again. Aqualad revealed himself to Danny as the duo got closer to the Bioship. The halfa paused before continuing on, once he recognised the Atlantean.

Robin turned to the building and Artemis and Miss Martian followed suit. League of Shadows guards soon came running forward.

"No one gets past," Robin mumbled and the girls nodded in agreement. They shifted into ready positions. Zatanna, Kid Flash and Rocket joined them soon after. Artemis fired an arrow into the army of Shadows and smoke covered the area. Kid Flash ran into the crowd and punched the guards, his super speed making the punches more effective. Zatanna whispered backwards words causing the guards to slip over and sink in mud. With Rocket's belt fully repaired, she made shields to protect her team mates from airborne projectiles. Miss Martian telekinetically threw guards into others, dazing most but knocking out a few. Robin meanwhile fought hand to hand combat with any guards that got too close to their long range fighters such as Artemis and Rocket.

"Hold your fire!" a commanding voice shouted. Everyone faltered, the guards for obedience and the team due to surprise. Luthor strolled through the guards, his personal bodyguard, Merci following dutifully.

"Stand down. Let him go," Luthor ordered. The guards bowed slightly and returned to their positions. Luthor turned to go.

"Wait! Why are you just letting Danny go?" Robin interjected suspiciously. Luthor turned back to the boy wonder and raised an eyebrow.

"He is of no use to the Light anymore. You'll see what I mean," Luthor answered and walked away.

Robin watched the bald man leave, completely confused. However no one was going to argue with the business man. They returned to the Bioship and returned to the cave. It was late and Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado would want to see Danny, not to mention Danielle and Garfield. They had to coax Danny out of the ship after a long silent flight, Conner once again helping the halfa.

The others were in the hanger waiting. Batman frowned as he saw the injured teen. Black Canary gasped and rushed forward, Danny flinched away from the heroine. Black Canary faltered.

"Danny? What's wrong?" she muttered worriedly. Danny scanned the hanger warily. Black Canary frowned with concern. Danny was acting strangely. Even more cautious and nervous than when they first saved him. He had instantly recognised that they all were friends. He was worried about crowds at first, but he had always seen her as a safe person.

Danny took a deep breath and turned back to her.

"Black Canary," he muttered with a small frown. Black Canary nodded encouragingly.

"That's right. Is everything alright? Do you need to talk?" Black Canary asked. Danny bit his lip but didn't answer. Black Canary glanced at Batman. Usually Danny answered one way or the other. Danielle joined Black Canary.

"Danny? What happened?" she pressed. Danny turned to her and blinked, almost like he couldn't believe she was there.

"It's alright. We'll head to Frostbite soon, but we want to know what happened first. Red Tornado might want to examine you too," Robin assured the teen in a calm tone. Suddenly Danny started shaking his head franticly.

"No! No!" Danny shouted terrified and pushed away from Conner. Robin started forward to stop the halfa from falling, bewildered by the halfa's reaction.

"No! Stay away from me!" Danny growled and frost began to form around Danny. Danny, unable to support himself, fell to the ground. Ignoring his injuries, Danny scrambled away from Robin and the others, frost forming an icy trail behind him.

Robin took a step forward but Black Canary stopped the teen.

"No, Robin. You're making it worse. Stay back," Black Canary informed them firmly. Black Canary took a small step forward and crouched down to Danny's level.

"It's alright Danny. We're not going to force you to do anything you don't want. If you want us to stay away, we will. But you need to explain what's wrong or we might upset you further," Black Canary assured Danny gently. Danny paused in his desperate attempt to escape.

"You… you won't," he whispered. Black Canary nodded.

"That's right. If you don't like something or something upsets you, just tell us. There's no need to panic, alright. What upset you?" Black Canary confirmed.

Danny swept a nervous glance around the room.

"I don't want to be ex-ex-examined," Danny mumbled and the frost around him grew. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"Alright. That's fine. Is it alright if we look at your wrists? They look hurt. We just want to help," Black Canary ventured. They'd take it one injury at a time. Danny looked at his wrist and blinked at the rapidly reddening bandages. He turned back to Black Canary.

"Just my wrists?" Danny asked fearfully.

"If that's all you're comfortable with, yes," Black Canary agreed. Danny nodded. Black Canary gave the teen an encouraging smile and edged a little closer and held out a hand.

Hesitantly, Danny placed his un-splinted wrist into her hand. Black Canary carefully unwound the bandages and winced sympathetically at the reopened cuts into Danny's flesh. They looked deep and susceptible to infection. The heroine glanced at Red Tornado, despite the distance the android got a good look at the injury.

"Red Tornado is going to get something to make this better. Alright? How did this happen?" Black Canary informed him. Danny glanced at the android and nodded in understanding as Red Tornado left the hanger.

"I was… bound I think. It's… a blur," Danny mumbled. Black Canary frowned in concern.

"What do you remember?" Black Canary inquired. Danny blinked before frowning in thought.

By the time Red Tornado returned with fresh bandages and disinfectant, Danny had shrugged. Black Canary glanced at the android. Danny was frightened. Someone approaching might make things worse.

"Danny, I need to get those things. I'll be right back okay," Black Canary reassured Danny before releasing the halfa's bleeding wrist. Danny nodded mutely and watched Black Canary get up and fetch the bandages and disinfectant and return. He took the time she was away from his side to sweep a wary glance at the rest of the people in the room, all watching in silence with worry and concern. She moved slowly to ensure she didn't scare the teen. Danny watched her closely as she put down the items and wordlessly asked for the teen's wrist again.

Danny cautiously gave his wrist back to the blonde woman and she prepared to wipe the disinfectant over Danny's wound.

"This is going to hurt. But it'll be over soon," Black Canary warned and wiped the disinfectant soaked rag she got from Red Tornado over his wounded wrist. Danny hissed and began to move his hand away, knowing that stopping him would be bad, Black Canary allowed him to pull away. Reassured that she wasn't going to restrain him, he stayed still. Black Canary smiled encouragingly at him and wrapped the new bandages around Danny's wrist. Black Canary then let Danny take back his hand.

The others watched in silence. Robin was starting to see Luthor's comment. Danny was scarred mentally by his ordeal. A single word had caused the teen to panic. If that had caused such a severe reaction, Robin couldn't imagine what would happen if someone deliberately examined the teen.

Danny allowed Black Canary to look at his other wrist. Again Red Tornado left to get the items they would need to treat Danny's injury. Black Canary then convinced Danny to allow her to look at his ankles. Both had deep cuts which had also reopened. They recast his ankle as well, unable to decide if the cast was necessary or not without an x-ray.

"Danny, are you hurt on your chest?" Black Canary asked. Danny looked to his chest before nodding slowly.

"Can I check?" Black Canary inquired carefully, nodding to the red stains bleeding through his shirt. Danny looked up fearfully.

"You want to take off my shirt," he squeaked frightened. Black Canary blinked.

"Only if you're alright with it. I don't want you to get sick. Injuries can get infected. But if you're not comfortable with it, it's fine," Black Canary quickly assured him. Danny bit his lip.

"You can just lift it for me instead. It doesn't have to come off," Black Canary offered instead. Danny looked up before nodding. Nervously, he lifted the bottom of the shirt up. He took a deep breath as frost spread from him. Black Canary bit her lip and gasped as she saw the beginning of a deep and long, stitched wound on his abdomen. Danny faltered before shaking his head and dropping it. He couldn't do it.

"It's alright Danny. It's alright. Can you take a look yourself later? If it gets infected we'll sort it for you. Can you do that?" Black Canary suggested. Danny glanced at her before nodding slowly.

"I'll help you to your room. Is that alright? You must be really tired," Black Canary decided. Danny nodded and got to his feet unsteadily. Black Canary offered a hand to him and he took it cautiously and she gave him her shoulder to lean on. As they left the room, everyone turned to Batman worriedly.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Danielle whispered.

"It seems to be PTSD. But we will have to wait for Black Canary's diagnosis. Give him some time and space," Batman answered.

"From this distance, Danny's injuries are consistent with being restrained for either a long period of time or, more likely, restrained when struggling. And the wound on his torso, it appeared to be an autopsy related injury but I can't be certain," Red Tornado informed them all.

"Makes sense with Danny's fear of being examined," Robin muttered. Batman nodded in agreement.

"Batman… when we found Danny. He was convinced he was imagining us," Robin added. Batman frowned.

"Perhaps whatever the Light did has left Danny questioning what he's seeing. He may be suffering from hallucinations," Batman theorised.

"He's crazy!?" Garfield exclaimed in shock.

"Danny isn't crazy!" Danielle snapped.

"This is only speculation. We can't know anything for certain," Batman interjected. The teens nodded in understanding.

"However, if he has a similar reaction, you must keep your distance. We can't be sure that Danny won't attempt to protect himself and hurt one of you. Robin, you, Black Canary and myself will escort Danny to Amity Park to access the Ghost Zone tomorrow. I'm only bringing Robin as he's been to the Far Frozen before," Batman decided, explaining his choice before the other teens could argue.

**So a trip to the Far Frozen to see doctor Frostbite.**

**How will Danny's loved ones react to the injured halfa?**

**Will Danny let Frostbite help him?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	87. Chapter 87

Black Canary helped Danny into Batman's car. The teen had refused to change out of the clothes he'd been given by the Light. The idea of undressing was enough to cause Danny to panic and nearly lash out. The teen hadn't slept either. He lay on the bed, tense and frightened for the entire night. Black Canary couldn't be sure if it was the threat of dreaming or the idea of letting his guard down. It was decided that Black Canary would sit in the back with the traumatised teen and Batman and Robin would sit in the front. The Zeta tubes were discounted as an option due to how confining the mode of transport could be.

As it was a school day, only those that lived at the cave were there to see Danny off. Zatanna, Conner and M'gann ready to head to school. Danielle had wanted to come as well, but the adults decided the fewer the better. It took a lot of coaxing to get Danny into the car and a near panic-attack when Black Canary attempted to put the seatbelt on him. They had been forced to abandon that. The heroine had no idea how Frostbite was going to treat Danny's injuries with how the halfa was. They may have to resort to sedating him.

They drove at high speed in almost complete silence. Danny fell asleep on the journey, a welcome sight for them all. He woke up as they pulled up outside Fenton Works. Danny stared at the building.

"I'm going to go in and let your family know that we're here, alright Danny? You're perfectly safe," Black Canary assured him.

"That's really there then. This is home," Danny muttered. Black Canary glanced at a watching Robin before nodding and smiling at Danny.

"That's right. This is only a visit though. We're taking you to see Frostbite because you got hurt. Remember, he told you to go there because of those ear drops to help cure your hearing," Black Canary explained. Danny nodded.

Black Canary opened her door.

"Wait here and I'll be back in a few minutes. Robin and Batman are here if you need anything," Black Canary reassured him and got out. She shut the door as softly as possible and went to the door. She knocked and glanced back at the vehicle. She hated leaving Danny alone. But Batman wasn't the best at breaking news and explaining these sorts of things to people. And Robin wasn't even fully informed on the situation or Danny's state. They had informed the family that Danny had been found. But they hadn't been warned of Danny's mental condition.

The door opened and Black Canary saw Jack Fenton in his usual orange day-glow jumpsuit.

"Mr Fenton. May I speak with you and your wife for a moment? It's about Danny," Black Canary requested. Jack blinked.

"Of course. Jazz is at school right now but it's almost lunch time," Jack informed her, the offer to call his daughter was clear. Black Canary glanced back at the dark car and shook her head.

"That's fine. She doesn't have to be here but she will need to understand the situation," Black Canary replied and entered the house.

"Maddie! Black Canary's here!" Jack shouted and the blue jumpsuit clad woman entered the living room.

"Hello, you may want to sit down," Black Canary greeted her and motioned to the living room. Black Canary sat in the armchair and the parents sat on the couch, growing worried.

"As you know, Danny was kidnapped during the course of a mission on Saturday evening, the details of which we cannot disclose further than we already have. We identified the Light as responsible and with the help of your invention, we tracked down Danny and rescued him. However… what we haven't told you is that Danny is injured and needs to visit the Far Frozen and has been mentally scarred by what has happened. I can't tell you the details, because honestly, I don't know them. Danny couldn't recall what happened or couldn't tell us," Black Canary began, choosing her words with care.

"What?! My baby's hurt?" Maddie exclaimed.

Black Canary bit her lip and nodded.

"I wanted to warn you before you saw him. He's extremely nervous and easily gets confused. He's also prone to panic attacks so if he starts panicking or you see frost or feel cold, you need to back away and tell him it's alright. We can't push him. I don't actually think he's ready for this but he needs this medical attention," Black Canary admitted.

"Not ready? We're his parents! We know how to care for our son!" Jack retorted, protectiveness shining in his unusually hard eyes.

"I'm not saying you can't care for him. But in Danny's current state, he is very dangerous. He regularly questions what he's seeing. He didn't actually believe the team was there when they rescued him. The simplest things can trigger volatile reactions, he refused to wear a seatbelt here. Danny needs professional help and his ghost powers seem to be beyond his control right now," Black Canary told them.

Maddie and Jack glanced at each other, concern etched into every inch of their faces.

"I haven't been able to see all Danny's injuries either, he refused to change clothes also. So be warned, he does look bad. I'll get him now," Black Canary added and got up. The heroine left the front door open and opened the car door and coaxed Danny out, acting as his crutch. Batman and Robin followed, both ready to interject should Danny react badly to anything.

He limped into his childhood home and scanned the room with something akin to disbelief. He saw his parents and blinked in surprise.

"This is real Danny. Your parents are here," Black Canary whispered in his right ear sensing the question.

"Sweetie, can I… can I come closer?" Maddie requested. Danny numbly nodded and Maddie approached her son. It broke her heart to see the fear in his eyes and the blood stains on unfamiliar clothes. She reached a hand out to him. He stiffened but didn't pull away as she gently caressed his cheek. She then pulled him into a hug but he pushed her away before looking upset. Black Canary was beginning to understand that feeling restrained or trapped caused Danny to withdraw or lash out. Maddie hid her hurt.

"I'm sorry… I just… please don't do that," Danny mumbled avoiding his mother's eye.

Maddie shook her head recovering her composure.

"It's fine sweetie. I should have asked first," Maddie reassured him. Danny glanced at her before nodding guiltily. It didn't take long for them to board the Spectre Speeder, Batman getting a quick lesson in how to drive it. It wasn't too hard, in fact it was even easier to drive than a car. Both Maddie and Jack were shocked and incredibly upset to see Danny so withdrawn and hurt. They opened the portal and within the hour Batman had navigated the ship to the frozen tundra of the Far Frozen, Robin pointing the way.

The hatch opened and Black Canary gave up on trying to persuade Danny to wear a jacket. He had tried a couple of times but both times he had ended up shaking his head and throwing it off before he could shrug it on. They stepped outside and Danny stiffened at the sight of the numerous white beasts gathering. He recalled a large gorilla looming over him before he shut his eyes and shook his head. Black Canary touched his shoulder and he recoiled from her and whimpered.

"Danny, it's alright. These are friends right? Frostbite and his people," Black Canary assured him, concerned by his unexplained withdrawal. Danny took a shaky breath and nodded.

"I-I know… I'm sorry," Danny mumbled.

"Great One! Come, I'll treat your injuries. You can regale us with the obviously difficult battle," Frostbite boomed happily. Danny's eyes snapped open fearfully and he took an unsteady step away from the voice. Black Canary caught him before he fell. He pushed her away but Black Canary didn't let his reaction deter her and whispered words of reassurance. Frostbite frowned in concern and noticed the dynamic duo.

"Danny has been through something really bad. He's pretty shaken," Robin explained.

"The Guys in White," Frostbite assumed with a scowl.

"No, the Light this time. But we think they experimented on him. He hasn't let us see his injuries," Batman corrected, thinking it was safe to be honest with the ghost.

Frostbite turned to Danny who was slowly calming down. He took a step forward and Danny immediately stiffened and watched Frostbite nervously.

"I fear I will not be able to get any closer. Not with the Great One so frightened. He will need to come to the medical facility. I will talk you through how to use our equipment," Frostbite suggested. Batman and Robin glanced at the halfa and nodded in understanding. Batman stayed with Frostbite and Robin went to Danny and Black Canary, approaching with care, and led the way to the medical facility. Frostbite ordered his people to give Danny space.

The new arrangement seemed to work until Danny saw the medical facility. He panicked instantly. He shouted his refusal fearfully and pushed anyone that approached away. Ice formed all around the teen making it dangerous for the living to touch him. Frostbite, aware that his presence upset the teen already was reluctant to get any closer. But the large ghost saw that Danny's sudden panic attack was endangering both the heroes helping and the teen himself. With no other alternative, Frostbite opened a drawer and pulled out a jar of sleep spores harvested from Undergrowth's lair.

"Cover your mouths and noses," he warned. Black Canary, Batman and Robin obeyed.

"No! No!" Danny repeated loudly and pressed himself into the nearest wall trying to distance himself. Frostbite opened the jar and blew a handful of the spores towards Danny. Danny's panicked cries petered off as he fell unconscious. Frostbite returned the jar to the drawer.

"What was that?" Black Canary asked.

"Sleep spores. Completely natural. But allow me to examine Danny Phantom," Frostbite requested. Batman and Robin left, Black Canary volunteering to stay to help especially if the teen woke up prematurely.

Frostbite phased off Danny's shirt first and growled protectively as they both saw the numerous stab wounds, electrical burns and the dissection wound. Frostbite treated the wounds and dressed them. The ghost also examined the teen's injured wrists and treated them, diagnosing Danny's wrist as badly sprained but thankfully not needing surgery. Frostbite then replaced the shirt and phased off Danny's jogging bottoms. Both Black Canary and Frostbite gasped to see that the teen wasn't wearing underwear. In fact there were faint bruises on Danny's genitals. There were stab wounds along Danny's legs also and Frostbite treated Danny's wounds, confirming a broken ankle. Black Canary was shaking with rage at the sight of all the injuries Danny had been subjected to. Frostbite returned Danny's trousers.

They then placed Danny on a table underneath a scanner. The only internal injuries seemed to be the broken ankle. Frostbite then moved Danny to another room to wake up, Robin volunteered to sit with him while Black Canary and Frostbite informed Batman what they'd learnt. The dark knight was furious. They still couldn't be sure what happened but Black Canary had a terrible feeling that the teen had been through something horrible and she even suspected what. Black Canary returned to Danny's side, now resting in the break room.

**So Black Canary and Batman are getting a better idea of what Danny has been through.**

**But will Danny be alright? Will he open up to Black Canary?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	88. Chapter 88

Robin turned to Black Canary.

"Any ideas what Danny went through?" Robin asked. Black Canary shook her head.

"No, but he's been through a lot. Sprained wrist, broken ankle, dissection, numerous stabbings, electrical burns," Black Canary listed. Robin blinked.

"When we were trapped in those dreams, Danny dreamt about that torture M'gann saw in his mind when we were last here. The punishment after he accidently used his ghostly wail. He told us that it nearly drove him mad," Robin revealed. Black Canary blinked at the boy wonder.

"In the dream, he was stabbed with ecto-ranium, electrically burnt by electrodes and covered with blood blossoms," Robin recalled. Black Canary bit her lip.

"After that punishment, Danny stopped resisting the Guys in White," she muttered thoughtfully.

"Luthor knew about that! Do you think he tried to make Danny join them by doing that to Danny again?" Robin gasped. Black Canary turned to Danny.

"Oh Danny," she breathed with sympathy.

"Luthor let Danny go. He must have realised he pushed Danny too far," Robin remarked. Black Canary glanced at Robin.

"That is possible. If Danny couldn't work for the Light, then they would have let us take him. In fact they may have been planning to return him to us to prevent a mentally unstable, likely vengeful, halfa going after them," Black Canary theorised.

Danny stirred and opened his eyes. He frowned and lifted a hand and gave a small sigh of relief. He then scanned the room and saw Black Canary and Robin. He tensed slightly before he seemed to recognise them.

"Where am I?" he asked, his soft voice laced with uncertainty and confusion.

"The Far Frozen. Frostbite treated your injuries," Robin answered. Danny frowned. He sat up and touched his chest, feeling the bandages underneath.

"How did?" he began. Black Canary knew that the teen was terrified to take off his shirt and after seeing those bruises in a very private place, she understood why. Danny wasn't reluctant to take off his shirt, he was frightened of being undressed, of being completely vulnerable.

"Danny, it's okay," she started. Danny began to hyperventilate. Black Canary frowned and gestured for Robin to give them some privacy. Robin nodded and complied.

"Danny, I know why you're getting upset. I saw those bruises. But we're not going to violate you like that. I promise. Frostbite had to treat your injuries Danny," Black Canary explained and nodded slightly towards Danny's trousers. Danny bit his lip and avoided her eyes, steadily calming down despite not being sure what the heroine meant entirely.

"Can you tell me what happened? Anything at all," Black Canary encouraged. Danny gave a deep shuddering breath.

"All I can remember is pain and-and not having any clothes," Danny whispered. Black Canary frowned.

"Are you sore anywhere we haven't treated? We just want to make you feel better as quickly as possible," Black Canary inquired.

"Just-just my shoulder. But it's fine," Danny admitted.

"What kind of pain?" Black Canary encouraged.

"I think… it got dislocated. I'm not sure. Everything's a blur before I woke up in that room," Danny muttered. Black Canary nodded.

"What happened in that room then?" Black Canary prompted. Danny looked up at her and frowned in thought.

"Um… I was scared. There were people there. A lot of them tried to hurt me I think. I can't remember everything but they tied my hands behind my back. I must have fallen asleep at some point too. I woke up when Conner opened the door," Danny recalled slowly.

Black Canary wasn't sure about that vague answer. He didn't seem to remember that room at all. She'd have to ask Robin if he had a copy of that security video. If they didn't to get an idea of how severely Danny had been affected by what happened it would be difficult to accommodate the traumatised teen. Maybe it would even be possible to get a video of what happened itself. Black Canary gave Danny a warm smile and an approving nod. Any time he confided in her was good. He could remember more and if he felt safe enough to tell her, then it would only be a good thing.

She helped Danny to his feet and helped him out of the medical facility to the Spectre Speeder, using a back door to avoid the actual room all the equipment was kept in. Robin and Batman joined them and they returned to Fenton Works, taking a bottle of medicine to be taken orally to help Danny heal along with the ear drops. Danielle had taken over Cujo's treatment for the last couple of days.

They travelled in silence and arrived in the basement lab. School had ended and Jazz, Sam and Tucker were at the house, having already been informed of what had happened. Danny blinked in surprise as he saw his sister and friends. They began to rush forward but Robin stopped them, already feeling the warning chill in the air.

"It's alright Danny, we'll take this slowly. One thing at a time okay," Black Canary muttered. Danny nodded slowly.

"So, they're here as well right?" he asked softly.

"Yes, they are. Come on, think you're up to getting changed? You have a few clothes here still right?" Black Canary encouraged. Danny bit his lip.

"You'll feel better in your own clothes. And they'll be clean," Black Canary added. Danny took a deep breath and nodded carefully.

Black Canary led Danny upstairs to his room. It was the first time since he'd been taken by the Guys in White. Danny limped into the room and took it in.

"You're really here," Black Canary confirmed. Danny gave a small smile. Black Canary, aware of Danny's wrists, opened the drawers and found underwear and found a pair of jeans and a baggy shirt for Danny to change into. She then bit her lip, considering the next step.

"Danny, I'll be just outside, I'll leave the door open a bit too. If you need help or start to feel overwhelmed, just call me," Black Canary informed the teen, deciding that Danny needed to see he could have privacy again.

Danny nodded mutely and turned to the clothes laid out for him. Black Canary left and the teen took a deep breath. She was right. It would be nice to change out of these blood-stained clothes. But the idea of taking these clothes off made him feel unbelievably vulnerable. He looked all around himself. He was completely alone though. Black Canary was just outside. And he didn't need to take everything off in one go. One thing at a time. Danny took a deep breath and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He looked around again before slowly pulling the top up.

Eventually he got it off despite the aches and pains in his arms, wrists and chest and dropped it on to the bed. He picked up his clean shirt but paused. He didn't even know how bad he looked underneath that shirt. He turned around and spotted a mirror, he was far enough away to see his torso. It was completely covered in bandages. Danny bit his lip. It was almost like having a vest on. He was upset that it had been done without his consent, but it was a small comfort that he wasn't bare chested right now. He pulled on the shirt and gave a pleased sigh. Then he glanced at the blood stained jogging bottoms. They had to come off too before he could pull on his fresh boxers and jeans.

He tentatively placed his hands at the waistband and took a number of calming breaths. Then in one motion, he pushed the trousers down and allowed gravity to do the rest. He looked down and saw the numerous dressings up his legs. He also saw the bruises. His breath caught in his throat. He needed to be clothed! He grabbed the boxers and got them on as quickly as possible, ignoring the shooting pains in his wrists and legs. With them on, he began to calm down. He felt a little better now. Not as exposed. He pulled on his fresh jeans and pulled on the shoe he had kicked off in his rush to put on his boxers. The cast on his foot prevented Danny wearing both shoes.

Now changed, Danny decided he did feel better. He didn't smell of blood anymore. And these were his actual clothes, not something the Light gave him after… after… why couldn't he remember? He didn't even remember getting dressed in those now ruined clothes. He turned to the offending outfit and growled angrily at them. They, other than the injuries and feelings he had, were the last reminder of his latest trauma. He threw the shirt to the ground and kicked the trousers beside it. He yelped as he jarred his broken ankle. He turned to the outfit. He wanted those clothes gone! Now he wasn't wearing them, he wanted them gone. He charged his hand with ghost energy and fired it at the clothes. It was far more powerful than he meant it to be and not only burnt the clothes, but left a large charred crater in the blue carpet underneath.

Black Canary stopped herself running into the bedroom. She needed to build trust with Danny.

"Danny! Are you alright!? I heard an explosion!" Black Canary called through the crack in the doorway. Danny didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he was alright. His ghost energy was far more volatile than normal, but then again he hadn't been that angry before. He limped to the door and pulled it open. Black Canary sighed in relief.

"Danny, thank goodness. I was getting worried. What was that explosion?" Black Canary asked. Danny looked to the smoking remains of the clothes.

"Just… just had to get rid of them," Danny muttered. Black Canary followed his gaze and gasped as she saw the burnt clothes and charred surrounding carpet.

"It's alright Danny. It's completely understandable. Well done for getting changed," Black Canary assured, genuinely pleased to see Danny in clean clothes. She knew he needed the positive re-enforcement of these things. Clearly not being clothed was a reminder of his ordeal, he needed positive experiences to replace that.

**Well, Danny got changed by himself and a little more about how he's doing.**

**But will he remember more and confide in Black Canary?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	89. Chapter 89

Maddie insisted on making everyone an early dinner. Black Canary agreed before Batman could decline. Danny needed to eat. He hadn't eaten much that morning. And he could use a normal moment with his family and friends. So they stayed for dinner. Batman and Robin both feeling very out of place and Black Canary just tried to keep an eye on how Danny was doing. It may be a little early for the teen to be trying to fit into a social event such as this, but they were here and Black Canary did think it would be good for Danny.

"You look a lot better Danny," Maddie ventured. Danny glanced at her and gave a small forced smile while he pushed a few vegetables around on his plate.

"So… um Danny, this Christmas I was thinking of getting you a new phone. You know to replace your old one. Well me and Sam were. Have you got one yet though?" Tucker attempted again.

"No, I haven't gotten one," Danny admitted. Black Canary glanced at Batman. The dark knight was reluctant to get a phone for the teen as it gave an electronic link to him. Not that Danny had asked for one. They had added him to the Justice League database now that he was a member of the team, but that database was heavily encrypted and was regularly tested for hacker accessibility.

"I could make sure it's completely hacker proof. Between me and Batman and the rest of the League," Tucker added. Danny glanced up and gave a small smile. Tucker gave an encouraging smile and nod.

"We could meet up again. If you want Danny. Somewhere not Amity Park if you want," Jazz suggested. Danny looked up at his sister.

"We'll see how things go. But it's a good idea," Black Canary interjected seeing that Danny didn't have an answer. Danny's sister nodded. Everyone was upset to see how withdrawn Danny had become. It was a shock for Danny's family and friends as he hadn't seemed to have been affected by his first period of captivity at the hands of the Guys in White. He had regained a great deal of his confidence before he got in contact with them. The only ones who had seen how that ordeal had affected Danny was Black Canary and Batman, the team had seen mere glimpses.

By the end of dinner, Danny had managed half of his meal and a little conversation. Nothing in depth or about the previous weekend, but it was progress. Black Canary helped Danny hobble out to the car, once again refusing to wear the seatbelt. They drove off and returned to Mount Justice in silence.

The entire team, Danielle and Garfield were at the cave to greet Danny when they arrived. Black Canary took Danny to his room to administer his ear drop and start to try and figure out how the teen was doing. Batman hung back with the teens to explain.

"So, how was Danny with Frostbite?" M'gann asked, they all remembered how badly Danny reacted the previous night.

"Bad. Completely freaked out at the sight of the medical facility," Robin answered glumly.

"But Frostbite used sleep spores to sedate Danny and treated his wounds. We can confirm that Danny was experimented on and we suspect that the Light repeated a punishment Danny endured during his captivity with the Guys in White," Batman added.

"What punishment?" Conner inquired.

"The one you saw M'gann," Robin replied, nodding grimly to the Martian. Artemis, Kaldur, Zatanna, M'gann and Wally gasped in understanding and sympathy. Danielle hadn't heard of the punishment as she had been with Cujo while Frostbite treated the ghost's deafness.

"Is there… anything we can do to help him?" Zatanna whispered. None of them wanted to be told they couldn't do anything. They wanted to be there for Danny. Batman offered them a slight frown.

"I fear it's too early to be sure what can be done just yet. For now, take things slow and keep your distance. All of you. No confining him in any way, no hugs, no cornering him and always ask before touching him," Batman answered eventually. The teens nodded, eager to help in any way possible.

Black Canary helped Danny to his room. Unfortunately, Danny wouldn't be able to use crutches until his wrists healed. Putting unnecessary weight on those injuries could cause a lot of harm, similar to his ankles. Perhaps Danny should stay in his room for a little while to recover without straining himself, Black Canary mused to herself. They needed to establish a safe place that Danny could rely on. Before it had been the medical facility, but Black Canary had a feeling that wouldn't be the case this time around. So, instead, Black Canary helped Danny to his bed and wiggled his shoe off for him, with his permission. She then grabbed a chair and surveyed the anxious halfa.

"Danny… I want to help you. Alright. I want to make things as easy for you as possible. And I want to help you recover from what has happened. Anything you tell me, stays between us. The cave is safe. There will always be someone here to protect you if need be, which won't be necessary. But for me to help you, you need to co-operate. If you remember anything, I want you to tell me. If you… if you start seeing things that you're not sure is real, I want you to tell me. Things you don't like or aren't comfortable with, tell me and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," Black Canary informed the quiet teen. Danny swallowed down his nervousness and nodded slowly in understanding.

"I remembered a… g-gorilla I think. When we were in the Far Frozen. I don't… I don't know why but it scared me," Danny admitted, saying the word gorilla with a slight tremor. Black Canary blinked, instantly pinpointing when Danny must have had that recollection.

"That's good Danny. Really good. If you remember anything else, let me know. Do you want to change for bed?" Black Canary replied with a warm and encouraging smile. Danny bit his lip before shaking his head. Changing once was enough for today. The idea of having that overwhelming feeling of panic and vulnerability so soon didn't encourage Danny. Black Canary's eyes softened with sadness but she didn't push Danny to change. Tradition could be dismissed for now. She wasn't going to force Danny to do something so closely connected to his traumatic experience. It wasn't fair to the teen.

"Alright Danny. Do you want anything before trying to get some sleep? I'll be here if you have any problems. Don't worry," Black Canary offered. Danny considered the question before shaking his head and crawling on to the mattress and placing his head gently on the pillow. He took a deep calming breath and closed his eyes. He curled in on himself into a foetal position and lay silently, measuring his breaths trying to relax enough to get some sleep.

Black Canary turned off the main light and switched on a lamp, illuminating the room with warm yellow light. She sat back in her chair to watch Danny, waiting for him to fall asleep, she could see from his tense body and forcefully deep breaths that he was still awake. Two hours later, there was a soft knock on the door. Danny hadn't fallen asleep yet. Black Canary gave a soft disappointed sigh but got to her feet and opened the door. Batman beckoned for her to step outside the bedroom. Black Canary glanced at Danny, still attempting to sleep.

"I'll leave the door open just in case. What's up Batman?" she replied, in a soft voice but loud enough that she could be certain Danny heard her.

She stepped out of the room, leaving the door half open and turned to Batman.

"He's still awake," she explained, keeping her voice low hoping to avoid disturbing Danny anymore that he already had, sensing Batman's inquiring raised eyebrow underneath his cowl.

"I've sent the others home or to bed. How is he?" Batman asked, following the heroine's lead. Black Canary sighed.

"I don't know. He's so traumatised I can't tell how badly he's been affected yet. But he did remember something. A gorilla. I don't know what it means yet but I thought the world's greatest detective would appreciate the clue. If you happen to hack into the security tapes Robin downloaded, mind letting me see the footage of his time in his cell? He kind of remembers that room. He says he recalls being there but I'm not so sure he does really," Black Canary informed him.

Batman hummed in thought before nodding.

"Keep me posted. I have to get back to Gotham. Anything you need before I leave?" Batman concluded, eager to get researching this new lead. Black Canary shook her head.

"No. I'll be fine. Goodnight Batman," Black Canary decided. Batman gave a curt farewell nod before gliding silently down the corridor. Black Canary returned to Danny's room. With a small smile she realised that Danny had finally fallen asleep. With a slight frown, Black Canary wondered, had her presence prevented him from sleeping? She'd ask in the morning.

Black Canary jerked upright when Danny screamed. She stood up from her chair and saw Danny sitting on his bed, trembling and crying silently. She bit her lip unsure how to proceed. The room had a chill in the air. Clearly Danny had had a nightmare.

"Danny?" she called. Danny blinked and glanced at her.

"Can I come closer?" Black Canary asked. He nodded jerkily and she crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed as close to the teen as she dared.

"Was it a nightmare?" she inquired, already knowing the answer but hoping to soothe the teen into talking about it. Danny squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head in his arms, propped on his knees.

"Danny, it's alright. I just want to help. Talking will help you. Remember before, you felt a lot better after telling me what happened," Black Canary encouraged. Danny peeked up at her before sighing.

"Ye-yeah. It was. But I don't… I don't understand it," he whispered.

Black Canary resisted the urge to edge closer. She couldn't contain him. Restricting him, even to give him comfort, wasn't an option.

"Well, maybe together we can figure it out," she suggested gently. Danny bit his lip before nodding slowly.

"There was a g-gorilla. I can't remember everything in the dream. But I was scared. Hurt. I-I couldn't move. They cut-cut my chest open," Danny recalled, starting to hyperventilate. Black Canary was quick to interject, hushing him soothingly, knowing that he was slipping back into that dream.

"It's okay Danny. You're safe now. You're not trapped. You said they. Who's they?" Black Canary replied with a small confused frown.

"I don't remember," Danny admitted in a whisper. Black Canary bit back a disappointed sigh.

"Can you remember anything else in the dream?" Black Canary inquired instead. Danny took a shaky breath before nodding.

"I was in so much pain. I-I begged but it didn't st-stop. I c-couldn't move. I was cold and burning at the s-same time. A-after that, it does-doesn't make any sense. People hurt me. Then they made me feel better. I was alone then they attacked me. I-I don't…" Danny informed her before trailing off.

Black Canary could tell that his nightmare had been more than a dream. It was a repressed memory. Obviously Danny hadn't been fully in touch with reality and was confused in his recollections. She could tell one thing though. The people that hurt Danny, had tried to treat his injuries. They knew he'd had medical attention, but she now knew that it was the same people that had experimented on him. She could also see that in Danny's confused state, his captors had attempted to do things, probably not intentionally to hurt him, maybe things as simple as dress him or move him to his cell, but he had felt threatened and lashed out. Because Danny lashed out in fear and confusion, his captors had defended themselves. Causing even more confusion for the teen. No wonder Luthor had given up on Danny.

Black Canary glanced at a clock. It was very early in the morning. Three to be exact. Danny had managed a few hours of sleep. That was good. But he was injured and would need a lot more sleep than normal. It served to show just how exhausted Danny was that he had managed to sleep as long as he did. It didn't surprise her. Danny had been tired before the mission and being kidnapped.

"Do you want to try and get some more sleep? Or we could do something different," Black Canary asked. Danny considered the question.

"I'll try and sleep," Danny decided. Black Canary nodded and stood up to allow him to lay back down. He refused to use the blankets to stay warm. She didn't blame him. Having something on top of him could easily make him feel trapped. She glanced at the door. Batman would still be up and he did want to be kept informed. She'd wait twenty minutes while Danny calmed down before she stepped out to make that call. Hopefully he'd fall asleep easier this time.

**Poor traumatised Danny.**

**Will Batman figure out who hurt Danny?**

**Will Danny be able to recover this time?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	90. Chapter 90

The team gathered in the kitchen after school the next day. They hadn't heard anything further on how Danny was coping. He and Black Canary hadn't left his room all day. Red Tornado had taken meals to them but the android hadn't seen Danny. The teens were worried about him. They wanted to go to his room, knock on the door and be there for him. But they didn't know if they should. Danielle was had tried to sneak in that morning but Black Canary sent her away. Danny wasn't ready for company.

Batman stepped into the kitchen and frowned at the idyll teens.

"Shouldn't you be training?" he asked.

"Black Canary was scheduled to train us today but she's… busy," Raquel explained, glancing in the general direction of Danny's room. Batman nodded in understanding.

"Any news on Danny?" Artemis inquired. Batman sighed.

"We think he may be remembering what happened but we're not sure if he realises that. But he did recall a gorilla being present. I'm looking into the matter," Batman informed them, his gentle voice clashing with his stern demeanour. The teens shared confused glances.

"A gorilla?" Conner repeated. Batman shrugged.

"That's what he said. However, his memories are clearly difficult for him to discern. He may be confused by what he remembered or it could be a code word he heard. But it did sound like he recalled seeing the animal itself," Batman explained. He hadn't found any solid leads yet. He had programmes working on the encrypted files and videos from Robin's gauntlet at the Bat Cave. He wanted to check that there weren't any new developments.

The dark knight left and the teens gave a collected sigh of disappointment. The team wanted to help but they could see that the adults were just as stumped as they were.

"What do you guys think?" Zatanna asked the room, eager for any suggestions the others could offer. Robin put a hand to his chin.

"Maybe Danny did see a gorilla. Or something like one," Robin muttered.

"What do you mean?" Wally questioned.

"Think about it. Who do we know that has a gorilla, likes experimenting and works with the Light?" Robin offered. A number of the teens gasped.

"The Brain," Kaldur breathed. Robin nodded.

"But we don't have all the clues. We might be missing something that discounts that pyscho machine, but it is a possible lead," Robin agreed. The teens glanced at each other again.

"Should we try and track down the Brain?" Raquel inquired. Robin bit his lip.

"Let me ask Batman first. He might already be tracking him down or discounted him," Robin decided and jogged down the corridor.

He found his mentor outside Danny's room with Black Canary, getting a progress report.

"For the moment, he's getting plenty of sleep. But I think that might just be because he's so tired and maybe the medication. But he has been having nightmares. And not just that repressed memory. A few from his captivity with the Guys in White. But nothing new to tell," Black Canary concluded. Batman nodded before sensing Robin lingering nearby. He turned to his protégé and frowned.

"What is it Robin?" he asked, unhappy at the interruption.

"Well, I was wondering if you were considering the Brain for being responsible for Danny," Robin confessed. He seriously doubted that his mentor had slept the last couple of nights and he tended to get very grumpy after a few days without sleep.

Black Canary glanced at Batman. The dark knight nodded slowly.

"I am. But there's no evidence to say that the Brain was present at that complex or in any of the paperwork I have decrypted so far. A hunch and possible motive aren't enough as you know Robin," Batman confirmed.

"We could ask Danny," Robin suggested.

"I don't think that's a good idea Robin. Danny's not in a good place right now and forcing him to remember things before he's ready might cause more harm than good," Black Canary interjected. Robin blinked before nodding guiltily. He'd forgotten in the heat of the moment that Danny was traumatised and unlikely to be of much help.

"However, perhaps we could see how he reacts to a stimulus we know could be linked to the Brain," Batman offered instead, watching Black Canary. The heroine chewed her lip.

"I don't know. Danny's… he's extremely fragile right now. I don't think it's a good idea to experiment on him like that. Especially so soon," Black Canary retorted.

The dynamic duo hung their heads in shame. They wanted to solve this mystery and bring Danny any kind of justice possible. Finding the culprit for his current physical and mental condition seemed like the best option, short of taking down the Light. But Black Canary was right. Danny wasn't ready to be questioned. And his well-being was priority.

"You're right. Hopefully the files will turn out a proper lead than a hunch," Batman concluded with an apologetic nod. Black Canary sighed.

"Let me approach Danny, alright. If I find anything, I'll let you know. But I'm not going to push him to remember. But… I'll try to find out if he knows anything about the Brain okay," Black Canary compromised before slipping back into the bedroom where Danny was reading through old letters from his friends and family. Black Canary thought it was a good exercise to show Danny that he had recovered from being experimented on before and could do so again. It didn't hurt that those letters were filled with words of comfort and love meant for the teen during his darker days.

Danny looked up as Black Canary entered. The teen was getting a lot better around Black Canary. He no longer flinched away from her. He was almost normal around her by now, if a little quiet still. Black Canary was getting concerned though. She didn't want him to latch onto her as a form of comfort. She was happy she could offer it to him but at some point she'd have to leave the cave and get back to her day job and secret identity. Thankfully Green Arrow was able to cover for her at short notice. But an excuse of not feeling well couldn't last forever. The teen had to learn to become independent again, or at least less dependent on solely her. She'd give it another day before leaving him for any length of time. A training session with the others would be a good test.

But for now, she'd spend time with Danny and try to coax him into talking to her. He hadn't remembered much more about his recent bout of captivity and torture. However together they had decided on what happened. Danny explained that he remembered waking up not being able to move after getting out of Nocturne's spell. He also mentioned Luthor. Black Canary theorised that he woke up, spoke to Luthor and then that's where things get hazy for Danny. At some point after that talk, there was a gorilla and Danny's tormentor started to experiment on the teen. Starting with being stripped and having an autopsy. Black Canary couldn't discern exactly what happened after that. Danny could only remember snatches and most of that was being in pain and unable to move. Then he ended up in his cell. He said people tried to hurt him, he was frightened and then the door opened and Conner entered. There was a massive chunk of time missing. Danny was kidnapped Saturday night. The others woke up very early Sunday morning, before dawn. They didn't rescue Danny until Sunday night. Fairly late too. He was captive around twenty four hours. Black Canary believed that Danny had awoken later than the rest of the team. But even if he had woken up a couple of hours later that was still more than twelve hours unaccounted for.

Black Canary knew that Danny had been subjected to a similar form of torture as his punishment for using his ghostly wail, but they couldn't be certain how long that lasted nor did they know if they were missing anything before that. For all they knew there could have been something else in between the autopsy and that torture. Black Canary also didn't want to place memories in Danny's head. By telling him what they think happened, they might rewrite that repressed memory into something it wasn't. There was a slim chance that Danny could remember something to help the Justice League take down the Light. They couldn't risk erasing that either.

However sooner or later, Danny would have to face those demons. Right now though, Black Canary wanted to establish a safe zone for Danny and let him heal before risking another possibly violent, panic-induced episode like the one in the Far Frozen or the hanger after his recent rescue. Once he had settled a little and she had decided the full extent of his symptoms, then they could start tackling that horrible memory of Danny's and try to regain some of that lost time. For now, though, they'd focus on his physical health which was improving steadily with the medicine from Frostbite. Danny's hearing was returning and his wounds were getting better. Black Canary could see from how Danny's wrists and ankles were healing.

Thursday afternoon, Black Canary stepped out of Danny's room. She promised to be back within a couple of hours and that she wouldn't leave the cave. She sat Danny down with his laptop and the latest version of Doomed. He was free to play that game online if he wished. She was confident that the game would keep him occupied for the time she'd be away and so this test shouldn't have any problems. She was prepared to be bombarded with questions from the others.

Danny decided to just play the game off-line for the time being in story mode. It was a new application only present in the latest edition. It was for those who didn't have friends to network with online. Level one was easy and he sensed he was about halfway through the second level when he felt a shiver down his spine. He paused the game and looked up. He scanned the room nervously before shrugging to himself. It wasn't his ghost sense just an instinctive feeling of being watched. He was alone. Black Canary hadn't come back yet. He un-paused his game and continued on for a few minutes before frowning. He didn't feel alone anymore. He paused his game with a tap of a button and scanned the room. He gasped. There was a figure across the room watching him. The figure had no discernible features, it just looked like a shadow. His gaze flicked to the door. Still shut, and he hadn't heard it open. He squeezed is eyes shut. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"How do you know that _I'm_ not real? For all you know, this could all be an illusion and you're still with the Light. Maybe you never left the Guys in White and you finally snapped," a harsh French voice taunted him. Danny clapped his hands over his ears and shook his head.

"No. This isn't real. I'd know if the guys here weren't," Danny muttered firmly. There was silence for a few minutes and Danny chanced opening his eyes only to whimper and squeeze them shut again. There was more than one figure now. There were a dozen crowded into his bedroom.

"So pathetic," one rasped in a French accent.

"Saviour of the Ghost Zone. Bah! How the mighty have fallen?!" a third hissed, again in a French accent. Danny shook his head and told himself he was seeing things. Nothing these people said was real. It couldn't be. He knocked the laptop off his lap without noticing and curled in on himself. He pressed his hands harder on his ears but the voices couldn't be drowned out.

"Can't even face his own family," a French fourth scoffed.

"Beaten by Nocturne. Ha! Next he'll lose to the Box Ghost," a fifth laughed cruelly with a French accent.

**Oh no! Poor Danny. What do you think is happening?**

**Let me know what you think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	91. Chapter 91

Black Canary nodded with an impressed smirk. The team was getting a lot better. Danielle was a quick study and Garfield had gotten a lot better too. The teens had divided into pairs and were sparring. However, unexpectedly, Zatanna and Raquel stopped. They were closest to the door, which they turned to with a frown. Black Canary frowned in concern and joined the two girls.

"Something wrong?" she called as she approached.

"Not sure. We just felt a cold breeze. Did someone leave the hanger door open or something?" Zatanna answered. Black Canary frowned deeper. Cold air? She shivered as another wave of cold hit the three heroines. With chattering teeth, Black Canary turned to the others.

"Hey, did anyone open the hanger door today?!" she shouted over the grunts of exertion and mild pain. The teams paused before informing her that no one had been there since this morning when Danielle administered Cujo's ear drops and Conner fed Wolf. Red Tornado would have shut the door if it had been open since then.

Black Canary frowned in confusion before her eyes widened in alarm. There was more than one source of cold air. A frightened Danny could freeze rooms over. He could easily cool the cave. She sprinted down the corridor, cursing herself for leaving him alone so soon. The others were close behind her, also coming to the same conclusion as her. Halfway to Danny's room, they spotted frost. By the time they reached his door, the walls were coated in ice. Black Canary grabbed the handle and rammed her shoulder into the frozen shut door.

"Danny?! Danny!? Can you hear me? I'm right here! Calm down and I'll be there in a moment," Black Canary called through the door.

"I can hear him," Conner muttered with his eyes shut. Everyone turned to him.

"What's he saying?" Artemis urged.

"Not real. It's not real," Conner repeated with a frown of concentration. Black Canary spun to face Danielle.

"I need to get in there. Danielle, phase me in," the adult ordered. The female halfa nodded and changed to her ghost form before grabbing Black Canary's hand.

A moment of discomfort and a tug through the wall later, Danielle and Black Canary entered the bedroom. The room was iced over and snow swirling through the air in large clumps. It was almost peaceful. Except they knew that Danny was terrified and in emotional turmoil. Danielle and Black Canary ran to the bed and the tightly huddled teen there. The female halfa held a hand up to stop Black Canary. It was too dangerous for a human to touch Danny. Danielle gently gripped Danny's arm which was firmly pressed to his head. He was constantly muttering that something wasn't real.

"Danny?!" Danielle called. He jerked away from her touch before pausing, stock still. His eyes fluttered open and he spotted Danielle watching him with concern. After a moment, his gaze shifted from his clone's to Black Canary and then the room. Slowly he lifted his hands away from his ears and uncurled himself.

"This is real right?" he whispered fearfully. Black Canary perched on the snow-covered bed and nodded.

"That's right Danny. This is real. What did you see?" the heroine confirmed.

"Figures. People," Danny mumbled, turning his gaze to his hands, twisting worriedly in his lap.

"Can you tell me anything about these people?" Black Canary inquired hopefully. Danny squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists.

"Not really. They were just dark silhouettes. Vaguely human is all," Danny informed them.

"Did they do or say anything? Why did they upset you?" Black Canary encouraged. This could hold a massive clue for how badly Danny had been affected. Hallucinations on their own were bad. But a reaction this violent had to mean that the things Danny was seeing were rooted in his traumatic ordeal.

"They just said things. Taunted me. Questioned what I know," Danny admitted, opening his eyes to glare at his fisted hands.

"What did they question?" Black Canary ventured.

"Did I ever leave the Guys in White? Is this real? How can I be sure?" Danny answered, looking up at her with troubled blue eyes. Black Canary blinked. How could she reassure Danny that this was real? Anything she said, anything he saw, could be twisted by these hallucinations into being a hallucination itself.

"Danny, who do you want to be right? Me or those figures?" Black Canary asked. Danny frowned.

"But this is real right?" Danny replied with confusion. The heroine didn't say anything. She wanted his answer. After a few moments Danny bit his lip.

"You. I want you to be right," Danny decided.

"Then I'm right. This right here is real," Black Canary retorted. Danny blinked in surprise.

"But, that doesn't prove anything," Danny argued quietly.

"I can't prove to you what is real. You have to decide that for yourself. Anything I say, can be contradicted by your hallucinations. You have to choose one of us to believe. I am going to be here for you. We all want to be there for you. You just have to let us," Black Canary replied. Danny swallowed nervously before nodding. That made sense. And if he could choose his reality, he'd choose this one. Friends, a real bed and being able to move was better than those figures or being on an experimentation table.

Black Canary waiting a few minutes before nodding. Danny had stopped trembling and he'd relaxed his muscles.

"Danielle, would you mind defrosting the door?" Black Canary requested. Danny winced but the female clone nodded without question and charged her hand with ghost energy to melt the ice.

"Sorry. For all this. I… I didn't realise- I didn't mean-" Danny stammered apologetically.

"Danny, I'm not upset. You're not to blame for this. You've been through something terrible. It's going to take time for you to get over it. But you will Danny. And we're going to help you alright? Just don't be too hard on yourself. You've already come a long way," Black Canary assured him, putting her hand on the frozen sheets beside him. It was the most comfort she could give him without touching him. She wasn't sure if he wanted that contact right now so she played it safe.

Danny nodded. He knew she was right. But he hated being so fragile. He loathed to admit it, despite hating being treated like glass, he felt he truly needed that right now. The smallest things terrified him. He'd only managed to change his clothes once a day, and even then it took a lot of coaxing. And he had yet to attempt a shower. Admittedly that wasn't easy with his numerous bandages and his cast on his ankle and splint on his wrist. They were irritating on their own. For some reason his ankle and forearm had never been itchier than since that cast and splint were put on him. His wrist irritated him to no end too. Everything was made a hundred times harder without being able to move his wrist. Picking things up, typing on his laptop, even going to the bathroom. He had never loved his accelerated healing more. True it was slower than normal because of those ear drops, but the thought of wearing both things for five or six more weeks. He wasn't one to cry, but the hopelessness of it and overwhelming uselessness he felt nearly reduced him to tears. It was bad enough his ghost powers were weak and his mind was a hard place to be. He had no idea how normal people coped with normal life while carrying similar injuries, especially school kids during term. At least he didn't have to leave his bedroom for now. He could recover in privacy and calm.

It didn't take Danielle long to defrost the door. The room on the other hand could take a while. He'd help but he was drained. He hadn't recovered from being saved yet and using his ice powers so much, even by accident, had exhausted him. The door opened with a soft click and Danny caught a glimpse of the team and Garfield gathered outside. He cringed. He didn't mean to make such a big scene. The voices were right. How the mighty had fallen indeed? Danny had faced true monsters. The Fright Knight. Pariah Dark, ghost king. His future self. Too many horrors to name and a few shadows saying spiteful things had completely overwhelmed him. Maybe some of the things those voices said were right. He had become pathetic. Jazz might even comment that the shadowy hallucinations were a representation that he'd become a shadow of himself. He blinked. Wow, that was deep. Since when did he come out with those things?

Black Canary watched Danny closely. He seemed to be deep in thought and contemplating something important. She glanced at the door as Danielle shot the others a quick reassuring smile before shutting the door. The adult bit her lip before surmising that spotting the audience had triggered the withdrawal.

"Danielle, tell the others to finish up training without me. Go on, we were almost finished anyway. Cool off and get showered," Black Canary decided, nodding to the door with a sense of finality. Danny needed her more right now. And she wasn't lying completely. Just stretching the truth a little. The training session probably would have gone on for another twenty minutes longer at least, but Danny didn't need to know that. Danielle nodded slowly.

"Alright, but if you need any of us, _either_ of you, just give us a shout," Danielle offered, giving Danny a meaningful glance. She then stepped out of the door and relayed Black Canary's orders.

Black Canary turned to Danny. He still seemed lost in his thoughts. And his frown betrayed how dark those thoughts were getting.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or tell me more about what those voices said to you," Black Canary inquired. Danny blinked in surprise as he came out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" he mumbled. Black Canary smiled.

"Do you want to tell me about what you're thinking of?" she asked again. Danny bit his lip. He wanted to get better and he had listened to Black Canary that first night when she told him he needed to cooperate. Besides, it couldn't hurt to tell her a little more about what those illusions said.

"I was just thinking about those shadows. Some of the things they said," Danny began. Black Canary gave him an encouraging nod.

"They said that I was weak, pathetic. They're right," Danny confessed, surprising himself with his honesty.

Black Canary blinked in shock. Danny thought so little of himself that he believed those hallucinations when they told him he was pathetic! That was an extremely scary realisation.

"Danny, why do you think that? Because that's not what I see," Black Canary retorted warily. Danny ran his hand over his splint. It was about all it was good for, it was perfect to fiddle with.

"Because a few insults never scared me and overwhelmed me like that before. Even when Spectra attacked. She only made me feel upset and a little drained. But those voices… I-I couldn't take it. I was helpless," Danny explained. Black Canary's concerned expression softened into sympathy and pity. He wasn't used to being so hurt. Mentally or physically. It was affecting him.

"Danny, listen to me. Most people don't have to go through things you have. Most people would have broken under that kind of torture. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I'm part of the Justice League. Even the big leagues need a day off every now and again to recover. This is all this is. Alright. A bleep. You'll get better and before you know it, you'll be back on your feet and in those skies terrorising ghosts," Black Canary assured him with a small smile. Danny gave a small snort before giving her a grateful smile.

"Were these shadows like Spectra?" Black Canary inquired curiously. Obviously Spectra was a ghost he'd dealt with in the past that used her tongue to fight rather than brute force. Danny frowned in thought before shaking his head.

"Not really no. I mean, some of the things they said and I guess looking like a shadow, but that's it. It was something about their voice that scared me," Danny replied. Black Canary frowned. Maybe the shadows spoke like Danny's tormentor. This could be a massive clue to identifying the culprit.

"How did they sound? Could you imitate it for me?" Black Canary requested. Danny looked up at her before trying to recall how the voices had sounded.

"A little like this," Danny eventually offered adopting a terrible French accent, suppressing a shudder of discomfort. Black Canary bit back a gasp. Robin was right. Gorilla, French accent, experimentation. That all pointed to the Brain.

"Thank you Danny. Next time, if there is a next time, I want you to write down everything the voices say. It'll distract you from them, and it'll help me understand what the shadows mean to you. If that's alright. If you really want, I could get you some medication to keep the hallucinations away," Black Canary instructed him. Danny chewed his lip for a moment before shaking his head. He was taking enough medication right now and he didn't particularly like swallowing tablets.

"Let me try the writing thing first. If it doesn't work… then I'll take the meds," Danny decided. Black Canary gave him a slight nod and encouraging smile.

**Well… Danny's making a little progress, sort of. **

**But yeah, he's lost all his progress from before and then some. Will he regain that progress in time?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	92. Chapter 92

The next day, Batman returned to the cave. With Danny's big clue that the Brain was responsible for his present condition, he had focused more on tracking down the wanted criminal rather than the decrypting files. However, as requested, he had put the security footage of Danny's captivity in his cell onto a portable drive for Black Canary. Kaldur, as he was team leader, and Robin, who was second-in-command, were present with Batman and Black Canary who had excused herself from Danny's company for an hour or so. They were all gathered in the conference room, ready to watch the footage. Kaldur and Robin were allowed to be present as they would be leading Danny when, hopefully, he'd return to their team once recovered. The four heroes sat around the holographic screen and Batman pressed play.

Danny, dressed in almost clean loose fitting jogging bottoms and t-shirt, was shoved into the cell. He stumbled and fell. The video had no sound but they all could see that the teen had cried out in pain. The door slammed shut and they watched the teen gather himself slowly. He, with great effort, pushed himself to his knees and then fell back onto his bottom. He looked around himself before obviously starting to panic, noticing he was trapped. Despite the grainy video, they could see frost starting to form around Danny. The door swung open and the guard seemed to shout something at the terrified teen. The frost grew faster. The guard stomped inside and Danny tensed fearfully. All the heroes watching could see that Danny felt threatened and scared. They blinked and Danny somehow got to his feet and was backing clumisily away from the guard on his broken ankle, ice creeping across the ground.

Suddenly with seemingly no trigger, especially as they couldn't hear what the guard was shouting, Danny lunged at the guard. His training with Black Canary came into effect instinctively however his attacks were brutal. The guard crumbled to the ground, ice forming over his bruises and clothes. Moments later a group of guards ran in and grabbed Danny and pulled him away from the guard. The injured guard was carried out. The entire time, Danny looked scared out of his mind. One guard, tired of restraining a very strong, panicking teenager, hit the teen over the head and Danny crumbled to the ground unconscious.

The watching heroes understood that, unfortunately, though a bit too brutal for their tastes, their reaction was justified. Danny was unreasonable at that point and without a sedative ready, knocking the teen unconscious was the best option to prevent further injury to both the teen and other guards. The guards left and Danny was left in his cell to wake up. Approximately an hour later, Danny stirred and rubbed his head before sitting up and propping himself against a wall. He scanned his surroundings again. He tensed and frost grew around him. But he didn't move and no guards came to stop him slowly freeze the cell over.

"Probably due to there not being one posted at the door," Batman offered when Robin pointed it out.

"Why?" Kaldur inquired with a frown.

"Because it's too dangerous to be near Danny in this video. He's unstable and prone to lashing out, violently. To protect assets and his men, Luthor has removed that guard," Black Canary elaborated, watching the screen with an unreadable expression.

After another forty-five minutes or so where Danny silently trembled on the screen as ice coated the room around him, he suddenly turned to the far corner. Everyone blinked and straightened in their seats. Danny seemed to be talking to someone. He looked confused but also frightened. Black Canary gasped.

"He's hallucinating," she realised. The three males glanced at her.

"So, he's talking to someone that only exists in his mind," Robin muttered, Black Canary nodded in confirmation. Danny suddenly seemed to be switching his focus between more than one point. More than one hallucination. He seemed to become more scared than confused and his body language changed. He shifted into a more defensive position and snarled at what he was seeing. He formed an ice dagger in his hands and brought it up, almost level with his throat. It was a clear threat display.

Suddenly the door slammed open again and Danny turned to them with surprise. His dagger was snatched away and his hands were bound behind his back before he knew what was happening. The guards retreated before the teen could recover.

"What just happened?" Robin exclaimed. Batman rewound the video and watched the scene again.

"I believe that the guards feared Danny committing suicide. To an outsider, it does look like a possible attempt. Particularly as they wouldn't have known that Danny has been seeing things. Again, I fear those actions are justified. The signs were misread but they or rather Luthor does seem to have had Danny's well-being in mind," Batman deduced with a grim frown. It made them sick to see that Luthor, despite having ordered for this to happen, had attempted to fix his mistake. It made the corrupted businessman almost… a decent human being. That made them all shiver with discomfort.

After Danny was bound and realised what just happened, he screamed and tried to violently free himself. He was panicking and wasn't thinking in any way clearly. It was obvious. Danny didn't care about his injuries. He just wanted those bindings off! At some point, it was hard to pinpoint exactly when, his hallucinations returned and he split his focus between attempting to free himself and arguing with his own mind. Ice on the walls thickened and Danny's breath began to cloud in front of his mouth as he shouted and screamed. Possibly an hour into the tantrum, Danny wore himself out and fell asleep. Batman stopped the video.

"He doesn't wake up until the team gets there," he informed them all having sped through the footage before.

Black Canary pursed her lips tightly. Danny had obviously been in a fragile state of mind while captive in that cell. And despite Luthor trying to protect the teen, the businessman and his guards had made things a lot worse. Binding the teen to prevent him hurting himself, while a seemingly necessary action had pushed Danny into a panic and made things even harder for the halfa. The heroine could also see that Danny had recalled the cell, despite having his perceptions twisted by panic and confusion, a lot better than she had realised. From his point of view, he'd been under almost constant threat, trapped, probably in pain from his injuries. The guards were giving mixed messages too. They treated his wounds and then imprisoned him. They left him alone and then for no apparent reason in Danny's mind, attacked him. Whether it was the guard ordering the teen to stop freezing everything or it was the misjudged interrupted suicide attempt. Both parties had misunderstood each other.

She was glad to have seen the video, even if it was hard to watch Danny in so much pain and borderline insanity. She could properly see his symptoms on that screen. Classic PTSD with heightened alertness and anxiety. Possible flashbacks with stimulus, such as being bound or approached threateningly. But also another symptom of hallucinations. Since they couldn't see what Danny was seeing or hear what was being said, they couldn't be sure what the illusions were saying. But from what she'd learnt from Danny the previous day, the hallucinations tended to make him question what was real while taunting him. The hallucinations themselves were a PTSD trigger with the French accent, causing further anxiety.

"Well?" Batman encouraged after a long pause, interrupting Black Canary's silent musings.

"PTSD definitely and hallucinations. I'm certain now. And those hallucinations are connected to his PTSD. The French accent that those hallucinations seem to have would trigger anxiety. And as Danny is having difficulty remembering his ordeal, that fear won't be explainable for him. It would be an irrational uncontrollable fear while his hallucinations haunt him. Unfortunately adding fuel to the fire," Black Canary informed them.

"So, how can we help him?" Kaldur inquired. Black Canary sighed.

"For now, I think it best that we avoid talking about any gorillas, the Brain, experimentation… any triggers. This needs to be approached carefully. I'll wait until he has healed though before starting treatment. At least his cuts and burns. Let him get his confidence back a little. I have told him to write down anything his hallucinations say to him if they come back. The exercise should distract him enough to prevent an emotional breakdown like yesterday's," Black Canary decided. The three male heroes nodded in understanding.

Black Canary soon excused herself and returned to Danny's bedroom. There was a chill to the air and a little frost on his bed and walls, but nothing a little heat wouldn't fix. It took hours of heating the cave to melt the ice from yesterday, and even then, the team resorted to breaking chunks of ice off and tossing it outside. Danny's room had been soaked thoroughly and took a little cleaning, drying and a lot of warming up, but by the time Danny went to bed the ice was gone. Danny was still having a lot of nightmares too, getting about six hours of broken sleep a night, which was more than he was getting before being kidnapped the previous weekend. Although Black Canary couldn't be sure if that wasn't just because Danny was healing and taking medication.

Black Canary casually turned up the thermostat in the room and sat on the edge of Danny's frosty bed.

"Did those shadows come back?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Danny nodded and handed her a notebook filled with scrawling writing. Thankfully he could still write despite the cuts on his dominant wrist. She took the notebook and tried to read the hastily scribbled comments neutrally. But her concern was difficult to squash. These hallucinations were a window into how Danny felt about himself. Maybe not consciously. But they documented how he'd lost confidence in himself and how he hated how weak he had become. It wasn't his fault. But his shadows seemed to think differently. There were a lot of comments picking holes in what was real and what wasn't. Plenty of questions on how he was rescued from the Guys in White. He just woke up somewhere safe. That must mean he had snapped. He was imprisoned on that experimentation table for so long, why all of a sudden did heroes save him. It was… a convincing argument. Well thought out and delivered. No wonder Danny questioned everything around him.

Black Canary looked up from the book to see Danny watching for her reaction.

"Who do you believe Danny? Me or them?" Black Canary asked, hiding her worry as much as possible. Danny glanced down in thought before he looked back to her.

"I still want you to be right," Danny muttered. Black Canary gave a small encouraging smile.

"If you'd like, I could try to fill in some blanks from your rescue," she offered, putting down the notebook. Danny bit his lip before nodding. Black Canary shifted into a more comfortable position and started to recount the facts.

"Your friends, Sam and Tucker, searched for you. They knew the Guys in White caught you because of rumours in the Ghost Zone. So they tried to find you by hacking into the government database. The government in turn called the Justice League to handle the hacker. Batman sent Robin, Artemis and M'gann to find the hacker. They tracked down Tucker and Sam at Sam's house and heard their story of how you had been arrested. Robin, Artemis and M'gann returned here and told Batman their findings. After that, the League took on the task of finding you. Batman and Robin hacked into the Guys in White database and located you. Batman sent the team in to find and rescue you. During the rescue, the team split into three, one stayed outside to clear guards and give back up on the escape should things go wrong, one infiltrated the security to help the third team to find you. During the rescue an alarm was tripped and they were forced to evacuate quickly, Conner carrying you as you were drugged, while fighting off any guards. They got onto the Bioship and returned here. You were taken to the medical facility where we checked your injuries and waited for you to wake up," Black Canary recalled.

Danny was quiet for a long time. Contemplating everything he had been told. Unfortunately it was a case of she said, he said. He only had Black Canary's word to go on compared to what those shadows had said to him. But… he wanted this right now to be real, so he had to believe that Black Canary was telling the truth. He eventually nodded. Black Canary gave him a soothing smile.

"That's good Danny. What do you say to getting you washed today? I think you'd feel better after a shower. I've got some plastic bags to protect your cast and splint," Black Canary suggested. Danny bit his lip. He had to face the shower and the subsequent undressing sooner or later. He nervously consented and with Black Canary's help hobbled to the bathroom.

It wasn't easy with his numerous bandages, but he did it. Being in the shower, the water calmed him, warmed him so that his fear wasn't overwhelming nor was his feeling of complete vulnerability. Black Canary stepped out of the door and called through the crack regularly to check on how he was feeling, how he was managing with his injuries and if he needed anything or any help. He used this opportunity to change his clothes since he hadn't that day. Black Canary had been right. Feeling clean and smelling of soap was wonderful. They also used the opportunity to change his bandages and check how he was healing. His chest wasn't easy to do as he felt constantly uncomfortable without his shirt on, but Black Canary was certain to reassure him and warn him whenever she touched him and gave a running commentary on what she was doing. He didn't know how exactly, but he kept calm and before he knew it, the bandages were replaced and he was sitting on his bed again, with his broken ankle comfortably propped up watching a comedy film with the heroine.

**Well, Danny's coping better now and Black Canary has a better idea of what happened and how to help Danny. **

**But will things be smooth sailing or will there be more unpleasant surprises to come?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	93. Chapter 93

A week later and the bandages were removed for the final time. There were only a few faint lines from his deepest cuts left. They'd clear up within the next day or so. His hearing was almost completely returned too. Danny sat on his bed biting his lip. Black Canary wanted to start his therapy today. She was conducting a training session right now but she'd be back soon. Danny shot a dirty look at the shadows gathered in his room. They still whispered things but Danny ignored them as much as possible, making a note of new comments. The shadows tended to repeat themselves. He was pathetic. He was weak. It was his fault that he got caught. He should have been able to beat Nocturne. He was sick of the comments. It was like a broken record by this point. Black Canary had started to distance herself from him. She'd leave him alone for a few hours a day. He was getting better at coping with his hallucinations.

There was a slight knock at the door. Black Canary had started doing that too. He appreciated it. It made him feel a lot more at ease to know someone wouldn't barge in on him. Not that he was doing anything he didn't want anyone to see. He remained clothed at all times, only changing when Black Canary suggested it. He'd gotten better at that too. He could change more than once a day now. He felt comfortable with himself again. As long as he was alone, he didn't feel uncomfortable anymore. He felt vulnerable still, but much less than before. He called for the heroine to come in. She gave him a smile and he handed her the notebook. It was getting pretty full by now.

"Not much new today," he remarked as she scanned the page. Black Canary nodded before putting the notebook down to one side.

"And you still believe me right? Not the shadows," she inquired as usual. Danny nodded with conviction.

She sat down in her chair and picked up another fresh notebook.

"Are you ready to start talking about what happened?" She asked. Danny sighed.

"I dunno. But I guess I won't ever feel ready," he mumbled. Black Canary gave him an understanding smile.

"We'll take it easy alright. Let's start with when you woke up there. You recalled Luthor. Can you remember anything he said?" Black Canary suggested and poised a pen over the page ready. Danny ran a hand through his hair and thought back. He closed his eyes in concentration.

"It was pretty dark to start with. I was… confused. I was strapped to a t-table. I knew I wasn't with the Guys in White though. But I didn't understand why I was bound. I told Robin in the dream about my ghost files," Danny began. Black Canary nodded and jotted down what Danny was saying. They had suspected as much.

"Then it got really bright. A light was turned on and Luthor walked in. He wanted me to join him. I told him no. He told me that Nocturne was magically bound to some guy called Klarion when he attacked us. He was a prisoner, forced to do what the Light wanted. I warned him. I told him how that pun-punishment the Guys in White did affected me. If I went insane, I knew I'd be dangerous. I once saw a future where I was driven to insanity by grief and guilt and became a monster. I tried to convince him," Danny resumed. Black Canary glanced up. She'd never heard of this future monstrous self. She was tempted to ask more but she didn't want to break Danny's concentration yet. He was doing fine so far. A few stutters, but he was calm and controlled.

"Then-then he l-left and a m-machine with a-a brain in the t-top came in. And a ma-massive g-g-gorilla. The m-machine told the g-g-gorilla to t-take off my clothes. Then the m-machine t-told the g-g-gorilla to cut o-open m-my ch-chest," Danny stammered. Black Canary bit her lip but didn't stop Danny yet. He had to remember what happened before he could deal with it. This was unfortunately a time when tough love was necessary. There was a chill in the air but he hadn't started to freeze anything yet.

"The m-machine l-looked in m-my chest. L-like the Guys in White did. Then it t-touched me," Danny continued, moving his hand without thinking to protect his private area. Black Canary gritted her teeth as she listened but let Danny continue.

"I-it o-ordered m-me to ch-change. I did. I h-had to. It hurt m-me. The m-machine then t-told the g-g-gorilla to take off m-my jumpsuit. It l-looked in my ch-chest again. P-poked my core. Then went back to…" Danny resumed, his voice growing softer. Black Canary could sense what Danny wasn't saying. He wasn't going to specifics on how the Brain touched him and she didn't blame him.

Danny fell silent for a few moments. Black Canary was just about to call it a day when Danny continued talking.

"Then the m-machine s-sent the g-g-gorilla to g-get the b-blood bl-blossoms. A-and ecto-ranium. The m-machine put e-el-electrodes on me. They s-stabbed the metal i-into m-me a-and put the f-flowers on m-me. I w-was still Ph-Phantom. Then I w-was electrocuted," Danny informed her with a soft whimper as he recalled the agony he felt. Frost started to coat the bedding.

"Alright Danny, you can stop. We can pick up there another time," Black Canary called to him. She didn't want to push him too far.

"It hurt. A lot. I d-don't k-know h-how long I w-was t-there. I-it hurt. I sc-screamed f-for h-help. I d-didn't c-care w-who h-heard me," Danny whispered shakily, curling in on himself. Black Canary gasped in alarm. Danny was slipping into a flashback. He didn't hear her telling him to stop. She jumped to her feet and sat beside him. She pulled some gloves from her pocket and slipped them on, hopefully the items of clothing would protect her enough to be able to touch him without risk.

"Danny?! You don't need to tell me about that today. Snap out of it," she called as loudly but reassuringly as she possibly could. She put a hand on his shoulder, hoping the contact would snap him out of the recollection.

Danny screamed. She swore to herself. He'd fallen into the memory. She had very few options left. Call for help from a telepath or sedate the teen. Ice appeared and spread out from Danny, forcing her back a few feet. She heard thundering feet in the corridor and a panicked knock.

"Black Canary! Danny!? Is something wrong?!" Kaldur shouted through the wood.

"Is M'gann with you?" Black Canary called back.

"Yeah, I'm here," the Martian confirmed.

"Can you send me into Danny's mind? Just me?" Black Canary requested. M'gann didn't answer right away. The door creaked open slightly and the green skinned girl peered in.

"He's trapped in a memory. I fear I pushed him a little too far," Black Canary explained guiltily. M'gann glanced at Danny and jumped when he screamed again. The teen girl pursed her lips and nodded.

"I can try," she finally answered and her eyes began to glow green.

Black Canary opened her eyes and saw Danny strapped to a table, covered in red petals, numerous green metal shards stabbed into his body and sparking electrodes. The teen was completely naked and covered in both red and green blood. He had black hair though. She recalled that Danny said he was initially Phantom and so deduced that he lost power and reverted. She sprinted to his side. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Danny?! Danny!? Listen to me. This is a memory. A flashback. You're safe now!" Black Canary cried fearfully. She desperately yanked the electrodes off his chest and pulled out a number of the metal shards before he noticed her. She unstrapped his bindings and brushed off the flowers and gathered them in a far corner, beside his torn clothes. She turned back to Danny, grabbing a lab coat to cover him, not wanting to violate his privacy any more than she already had. She wrapped the coat around him. It was massive on him and covered him up well. Danny blinked in confusion at her.

"This is in your mind Danny. A flashback. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so much so soon," Black Canary informed him. The teen surveyed the room around him and shuddered.

"Open your eyes okay. It's alright. You did nothing wrong. We just went a little too fast, that's all," Black Canary assured him and left his mind.

M'gann blinked and her eyes returned to normal, Black Canary and Danny opened their eyes next. He was quick to check his surroundings.

"Thank you M'gann," Black Canary muttered and gently motioned for the Martian to leave. M'gann nodded and left, sending Danny a small reassuring smile on her way. Once the door clicked shut, Danny groaned in frustration and grabbed fistfuls of his own hair.

"Danny, it's okay," Black Canary assured him.

"No, it's not! I want to get better. But if that happens when I try, how can I?" Danny moaned, angry at himself. Black Canary perched on the bed beside him ignoring the frost coating.

"Danny, calm down. Getting angry and upset isn't going to help. This will take time. I should have stopped you a little earlier. It was my fault. Not yours. Do you want to talk about something else? Or we can call it a day for now," Black Canary replied. Danny dropped his hands and sighed harshly. He glanced at Black Canary.

"Did we at least get some progress?" he inquired. Black Canary blinked.

"Our first step is to get your memory back. If you remember more than you did before we started, then yes. That's progress," Black Canary answered.

Danny slumped back on his bed onto his pillows. He blew a strand of black hair out of his eyes.

"I want to change into Phantom," he decided. Black Canary blinked in surprise. He hadn't shown any interest in his ghost side for the past couple of weeks spent recovering. In fact, the only powers she'd seen him use was his ice powers and that tended to be by accident.

"Alright. If you're sure. But you don't have to if you're not ready," Black Canary relented, fearing that he was pushing himself too much because of his flashback episode. Danny nodded. He got to his feet carefully, leaning against the bed. He bit his lip as he recalled that his ghost form had been stripped too. His suit had always repaired itself before, but a few holes or burns was different to being completely removed and disintegrated. He glanced around his room and spotted a bath robe that came with the room. He never used bath robes, preferring to getting changed after showering. He hobbled over to it and tossed it on to his bed and stood beside the bed. He didn't like staying on his feet for too long with his injured ankle. It was painful when he put his full weight on it and so he liked to stick close to the bed.

With a deep breath, Danny closed his eyes and reached inside himself for his ghost side. A flash of light pierced through his closed eyelids. He slowly opened them and looked down at himself. He wasn't naked. But he wasn't fully dressed either. His suit hadn't repaired itself yet. There was one boot, thankfully on his injured ankle since the cast had disappeared, his trousers had almost fully formed and his top was more rags than a shirt with only one ripped sleeve so far. But with a content sigh, he noticed that his ghost side didn't fill him with fear like it had after he'd escaped the Guys in White's clutches. He supposed it was because both halves were treated the same way. He wasn't punished for using or not using his powers. He was the… specimen. Both halves were. He shuddered at the word in his mind. That was how the machine referred to him. The word made him sick.

"Danny? Are you alright?" Black Canary called, sadness and pity in her eyes at the sight of his suit. But there was hope. Like Danny, the suit was healing. Danny nodded and gave her a genuine smile. They were rare nowadays. It warmed the heroine's heart to see him smile like that.

"Yeah. I'm okay. I was worried that my suit wouldn't be able to fix itself this time," Danny answered. Black Canary smiled. Not a single quiver in his voice. Changing wasn't going to be an issue this time around. That was good.

"But it seems to be repairing itself. Probably a little slower than normal because your ghost energy is focused on healing you, right?" Black Canary theorised. Danny nodded.

He held out a hand and frowned in concentration. His hand began to glow green with ghost energy and then blue with his ice energy. He floated a foot into the air, turned invisible, intangible and duplicated. He recalled the duplicate and pointed his hand towards the notebook filled with his shadows' words. His ghost energy slowly reached out from him and enveloped the book and lifted it a couple of inches into the air. Black Canary understood what the halfa was doing. He was checking that his powers still worked and if he had any lingering issues with them. He turned to Black Canary after dropping the notebook.

"I think I'm okay. I've yet to try my wail and… well I'd rather not knock down a wall," Danny concluded with a nervous smirk. Black Canary smiled. They could get back to that lingering issue from his previous PTSD. For now, they had to focus on Danny recovering from his latest trauma.

**Yep, it's going to be a long bumpy road to recovery but Danny's started it at least. **

**And this time he can change into his ghost form and use his powers without fear, most of them anyway.**

**But what do you guys think will happen next?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	94. Chapter 94

A week later and Danny's cast and splint were ready to come off. His wrist was still a little tender and his ankle was weak from lack of use, but he was loving the freedom. Now he could shower without the hassle of sticking a bag over the cast. He could pick things up easier and type, true going too fast did cause a stab of discomfort but it was liberating to be able to do it. And the best thing, if he had an itch, he could actually scratch it. No cumbersome cast in the way driving him nuts.

He and Black Canary had had a couple more sessions also, mainly focusing on what he recalled the previous week and going over what his shadows said to him. They had determined that he only hallucinated when he was alone. Generally for a substantial amount of time. Danny had recalled the entire conversation he had with Luthor in detail now. And he had gone into deeper detail in the autopsy he endured. It was getting easier to talk about.

"How do you feel about trying to remember a little more? Maybe before you ended up in your cell," Black Canary suggested. Danny took a deep breath and nodded. He could try that. Black Canary had told him not to close his eyes while recalling things about his ordeal. The extra stimulus, i.e. seeing the room, would help prevent him slipping into a flashback. He searched his memories.

"Um… I was in pain. And… tired. That machine… it turned off the electrodes. Yeah, and Luthor was there too. At first… he was smiling. He asked me if I would listen now. But I was… confused. I didn't recognise him," Danny recalled uncertainly. Black Canary nodded encouragingly. She could see that Danny wasn't sure what had happened and was interpreting his confused memories as best he could.

"Then I think they realised that I didn't understand what was going on. Luthor told the machine to check my injuries and to get me clothes. The g-gorilla untied me and helped the machine to clean my cuts and cast my ankle and wrist. I didn't understand. They wouldn't explain what was going on. I think I tried to escape, might've kicked and punched them both a few times. I was too scared to pay attention to exactly what was going on," Danny resumed. Black Canary nodded and jotted down a few notes, recording what he remembered.

"They found me some clothes and kind of forced me into them. Then the m-machine called for a couple of, I think, guards to take me somewhere else. They pushed me into a room and locked the door behind me. I fell over and that hurt," Danny continued before pausing and turning to Black Canary.

"That's up to the cell right? I don't think I was moved after that, not until Conner, Robin, M'gann and Artemis came," Danny informed the heroine. Black Canary finished her note and turned to Danny.

"Do you want to keep going? It's okay if you don't," she replied. Danny shrugged and decided he was fine to keep going.

"I saw I was trapped and I got scared. The door opened and, must have been a guard, came in and started shouting at me. Telling me to stop making him cold and making ice. I didn't mean to but I was so scared I couldn't explain. My voice wouldn't work. He got angrier and started to come at me. It's a blur… I hurt him. Didn't I? Is he okay?" Danny asked, his confusion disappearing as worry and concern filled his wide eyes. Black Canary bit her lip. If she answered, she had to admit to having watched the video. Danny might want to watch the videos instead of doing this step by step process of regaining his memory, which was the healthiest way for him to learn what happened. He might also feel that his privacy was violated.

She decided for now to play it safe.

"What stopped you?" she inquired.

"Other guards, they… they pulled me away. I was too scared though. I… I woke up alone. Did they knock me out?" Danny muttered with a thoughtful scowl.

"Sounds like the guards were quick Danny. They probably interjected before you could do any lasting damage to that guard and got him medical attention if he needed any. But if you'd like, Batman could look into it. Just remember, you weren't yourself at the time, and you were acting out of self-defence. You are not to blame for that," Black Canary assured him. At least this way they could lie about when they watched that video and keep Danny's trust. Danny nodded his consent with a worried frown.

"When you woke up, what happened? If you're alright with continuing," Black Canary encouraged. Danny blinked before nodding and returning to the task of remembering his captivity.

"I woke up. I was scared still. I was still in that tiny room with no way out. And I remembered the guards attacking me. So I sat up and didn't move. My… _training_ with the Guys in White kind of came back to me. I wasn't allowed to do anything without permission. But after a while, I wasn't alone. There was a shadow. It mocked me. Said I was weak. Broken. Another shadow appeared and asked… it asked where you guys were. If you were my friends, why didn't you come and save me? More shadows appeared and taunted me, asked where you were. Then they started asking me if I was crazy. They asked if I'd finally snapped. They asked how I could be sure you guys were real and that I wasn't still with the Guys in White. I got angry. I told them to leave me alone. To shut up. I argued with them. I had enough and made an ice dagger thing. It was easy because I was so scared. I just had to mould the ice into a shape. Next thing I know there are those guards again. They took my dagger away and bound my hands," Danny explained. Black Canary made in detail notes at this point. What happened during the time the hallucinations were present was something only Danny could tell her. It was also interesting that in a way, Luthor had gotten what he wanted. Danny, in that situation, if approached in the right way, would have obeyed. Although, on a side note, Danny may have been too traumatised to do whatever was asked of him.

"I came to my senses and I tried to free myself. It hurt. I might have opened a few wounds. The shadows just taunted me and laughed at me. I couldn't free myself. I must have passed out, 'cause I woke up when the door was unlocked. I thought… I thought they weren't real. Those shadows might have been tricking me, or even telling the truth and I was fooled before," Danny concluded. Black Canary put down her notebook.

"It's alright Danny. You were confused. None of us blames you or was upset with you. We were concerned for you, yes. But not upset or angry with you for not believing we were real. What matters is that you know now," Black Canary reassured him easily with a warm smile. Danny returned it with a weak smile. Black Canary considered the teen.

"I think that's enough for today. I'm just going to ask Batman to look into the guard alright. I'll only be gone for a few minutes," Black Canary informed him and stepped out of the room to make that phone call.

Danny sighed. No flashbacks this time. And he'd cleared up his memory a little more. He was happy to take this time to organise his memories but he daren't do it alone in case he panicked or got sucked into an unfavourable memory like that torture, or autopsy. He shuddered at the thought. It was bad enough he was still having those nightmares. Black Canary was spending her evenings and nights with him in the cave to help him when he woke up in a panic but during the day she had to return to her normal life. But if he needed her, or anyone else, he could use a communicator left in his room in case of emergencies to call Red Tornado. Until now, he hadn't needed it yet. And Danny was adamant to keep it that way. The shadows were getting easier to cope with too. They didn't appear in large groups now, just a handful at a time. And Danny could ignore them for the most part.

After a session he always felt at a loss for what to do. The feelings from those memories tended to linger for a few minutes. Sometimes longer. And because he felt those old feelings of fear, insecurity and anger at himself, anything he wanted to do tended to be tainted. Watch a movie, he might be in such a sour mood, he wouldn't find it funny. Play Doomed, he might get so frustrated with a simple task not working he'd give up quickly. That was why Black Canary stayed for the evening, particularly when they'd had a session. She helped him for the next hour to calm down and not become overwhelmed by things that would normally be fine. Danny sighed before glancing at his bedside table. His family and friends had sent letters. He hadn't read them yet as he had only gotten them that day. They had sent others since they saw him. But he hadn't replied. He had nothing he wanted to say and anything he came up with sounded so falsely optimistic, he hated every word. So he hadn't written back or gotten in contact since. He wasn't afraid to. They'd already seen him at his worst. He just didn't know what to say.

He picked up the first letter. It was from Tucker. Danny shrugged and opened it. The letter spoke about how things were at Casper High. There had been a slight increase in ghost attacks, but nothing they couldn't handle. Tucker also asked a few questions about what kind of features Danny would like on his new phone for Christmas. Apparently Tucker was doing the research and Sam was providing the money. Danny blinked at the question. He honestly hadn't thought about it since Tucker suggested it. Danny frowned and bit his lip. What would he want? Well security was obvious. It had to be one of the most secure phones out there. Danny thought back to his previous phone. He really didn't know what happened to it. It was taken from him when the Guys in White found it, but did they keep it or destroy it?

Danny put the letter to one side. He supposed he could do his own research into what he'd like. Tucker was a techno geek so he'd find the best phone out there with everything Danny would like. As a hacker and tech genius in many aspects, Tucker might even be able to add features or improve them beyond what they should be. Danny turned to the next letter, this one from Jazz. As usual, it was filled with psychology babble. But the comments she made, actually soothed and encouraged him. Before everything it would have annoyed him. But some of Jazz's advice had helped him. She had a technique that was supposed to reduce nightmares which entailed Danny thinking about everything good in his life and falling asleep to those thoughts. And it kind of worked. Not as well as she probably hoped. But the dreams did tend to be shorter or less gruesome. They were still memories after all. But by doing that exercise every night, it did make him feel better about himself. He had two best friends in Amity Park who had broken the law to try and find him. A sister who could help him through his trauma if he wanted her to. Loving parents who accepted his other half. He was part of a team of superheroes. Danielle was safe and with him. And he was free and healing. He also found that those thoughts helped with his shadows.

With a faint smile, he set the letter to one side and picked up Sam's. It was very similar to Tucker's. Telling him about her life. Asking how he was. Explaining the plan with how they were organising his new phone. Then she asked if they could see him soon. Just to make sure he was doing alright. She didn't want to push him and she understood that he mightn't want to write or talk to anyone. But she wanted to see him again. Danny could understand. They weren't used to seeing Danny so broken and that was the only way to describe how he'd been during his last visit home. It was something he hadn't wanted them to ever see. But they had. And they were worried. It was something that he could sense through all their most recent letters. It both broke his heart that he was scaring them like that and warmed his heart that they cared and were concerned about him. He put the letter to one side and considered the question. He shook his head. He didn't even know how he'd cope with people who weren't Black Canary right now. Seeing his friends and family would entail leaving the cave and being out in public. He wasn't sure he was ready for that quite yet.

He picked up his mother's letter to him and read it. Her letter was filled with concern. She wanted to know he was doing alright. How he was healing. Who hurt him, if he knew? When would they get to see him? What was Batman doing to bring justice to the people responsible? There were so many questions and very few he had answers for. He hadn't remembered the name of the machine that hurt him. And he knew the gorilla had one too but it was just beyond him. Part of him wanted to know and wanted to ask Black Canary because he knew that she knew who had hurt him. But another didn't. Would knowing that those… sadistic monsters had a name make coping harder? It was easier to think an evil robot working under Luthor hurt him rather than a weird cyborg person with a life. In a way learning their names would make it all the more real.

He put down his mother's letter. He certainly wasn't ready for his mother fussing over him. Sometimes Black Canary's concern for him and comfort was too much and she knew when to back off and when to push forward. His mother, though his mother, didn't. She never really had. When he was little and Dash started picking on him, Maddie had made a massive scene at school. She cried out in horror at the bruise on his arm and had demanded to see the principal. It was part of the reason he tended to handle things by himself. His mother was extremely over protective. Jazz figured it was because she was over compensating for losing herself in her work and not always being around.

Danny picked up the final letter, this one from his father. His father, while awkward at times, was much easier to approach. And it showed in his letter. He asked similar questions his mother did but he also threw in a little about home life. Danny could almost see his father's large smile, a thump to the shoulder and a slab of fudge waiting. His father was the one to encourage Danny to stand up for himself when he heard about Dash picking on him. That's, unfortunately, how he ended up in a fight and got the bruise. Before that it was name calling. It was easy for his father to say that Danny just needed to stick up for himself. Jack Fenton was a large, imposing man. Danny on the other hand had always been the smallest in his class. He definitely seemed to take after his mother. Or maybe his father was an odd-ball on his side of the family being so large. Because his Aunt Alicia, Maddie's sister, wasn't a petite, gentle woman by any stretch of the imagination.

Danny put down the letter and bit his lip. He'd wait until Black Canary deemed him ready to face the team. He'd wait and see how he handled that and if he was alright, he'd ask if he could spend some time with his friends and sister. He knew it would hurt his parents that he didn't want to see them but he wanted to take it slow. He would hate to freak out and upset them all. He didn't feel anywhere near ready to face his mother and he guessed it would be cruel to not see only her. Black Canary stepped back into the room and informed him that Batman would look into the guard for him and suggested that they watch a movie. Danny agreed, setting his letters safely on his bedside table for now.

**Hmm… will Danny meet up with the team soon? How will it go?**

**Will he see his loved ones soon? And under what circumstances?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	95. Chapter 95

Three weeks after Danny's abduction and rescue, the team gathered in the briefing room with Batman and Black Canary.

"As you know, Danny was kidnapped by Nocturne, under Klarion's control, and taken to a Light base. Luthor attempted to get Danny to join the Light, utilising the Brain and his gorilla assistant Monsieur Mallah to experiment and then torture Danny into submission. The results of which you have all seen," Batman began with a quick debriefing. The team all nodded with stoic frowns. They knew those facts. While Kaldur and Robin had been more informed than the others, the entire team was fairly well informed on what had happened.

"Black Canary has been working with Danny to recover his memory of what happened and to help him decipher his hallucinations from reality. His progress is encouraging," Batman resumed with a small smile. The team were pleased to hear that. They hadn't heard much on how Danny was doing since he was taken to his room by Black Canary.

"He has also fully recovered physically, including his hearing from Luthor's first attempt to recruit Danny. And we are confident he's ready to start re-integrating into the team. However we have a few concerns that we want to make clear," Batman resumed, interrupting the shared excited grins between the teens.

"Yes. Danny has made a lot of progress. But he is still recovering. So while you shouldn't act differently around him, we just want to warn you of a few things. Contact, especially restrictive contact, can startle and frighten him. He hasn't fully recovered his memory and I ask that you not question him on his ordeal. Avoid talk of gorillas and do not mention the Brain in his presence. In fact, we think it best that the Justice League take over the investigation and search for the criminal. We don't want to cause Danny any distress unnecessarily. He has gotten a lot better in separating his hallucinations and reality but if he asks for confirmation, give it to him. We're going to take this slowly to start with. Just a few hours for now. If Danny feels comfortable enough, we'll extend that time and he may even be able to re-join Garfield and Danielle for lessons with Red Tornado. Any questions?" Black Canary explained.

"I have one. How do we know if we're making him upset and need to back off?" Raquel asked with a concerned frown. Black Canary bobbed her head.

"For the first couple of times, I'll be there. But the same signs are still there. Cool air, tensing. He does tend to make it apparent though if he's uncomfortable. Don't take any of it personally though. He has been through something terrible and it will take him time to regain his confidence," Black Canary answered. The teens nodded.

"Will Gar and Danielle be present?" M'gann inquired. Batman and Black Canary shared a quick look before the heroine shook her head.

"For the first time, we think it best that they aren't. We're concerned about Danny coming into contact with Garfield due to his shapeshifting ability. While it isn't Garfield's fault, Danny may be uncomfortable as Garfield can morph into a gorilla. He has developed a fear, understandably. And Danielle, although she has good intentions, she can be a little forward. Don't worry, I'll explain the situation to them in a moment," Black Canary informed the team.

Black Canary then excused herself. Batman scanned the team, taking note of their nervous excitement. Despite Danny being a new addition, he was definitely part of this team and they were concerned about him.

"Batman, is Danny like he was before? You know, after we saved him from the Guys in White," Wally ventured. Batman turned to the speedster.

"In some ways. He has no problems with using his powers or shifting his forms. His ghost half seems to have fully recovered as well. But we only have Danny's word on that since we're not experts. However Black Canary does think he's quieter than prior to his capture. I, myself, haven't seen him since I drove him to Amity Park," Batman admitted. The team nodded in understanding.

They turned as they heard footsteps and saw Danny shuffling nervously down the corridor with Black Canary. They gave him warm smiles which he returned awkwardly.

"Hey Danny, how are you?" Zatanna called, trying to give him plenty of space. Danny self-consciously rubbed his arm before shrugging.

"Alright. Better than when you guys last saw me anyway. I er I don't think I thanked you for saving me or helping to snap me out of that flashback. So um, thanks," Danny mumbled.

"You don't have to thank us Danny. We wanted to help," Artemis assured him. Danny shrugged again, clearly at a loss for what he should do or say, shoving his hands into his pockets. The room fell into uncertain silence.

Black Canary kept a close eye on Danny and the room temperature but the halfa wasn't showing any fear. He was just not sure what he should say. It was the same for the team. None of them could figure out safe subjects to talk about. The team were afraid of making Danny upset or uncomfortable. And so both parties felt awkward and unsure. Black Canary glanced at Batman and bit her lip. She needed to come up with something for them to either do or talk about. It was too cold for them to go for a walk outside. She'd told Danielle and Garfield to hang out in the kitchen during this get together, so that made that room unavailable. She didn't think a training session in powers or fighting was a good idea as they weren't sure how Danny would deal with an assailant yet, even if it was a friendly match.

"So er Danny, I kinda hacked your laptop and read a couple of your ghost files," Robin finally broke the silence. Danny nodded.

"I knew you would. It was why I told you about them," Danny admitted.

"You could have warned us," Wally joked with a nervous chuckle. Danny gave an awkward smirk.

"If I told you it wouldn't have been a surprise. I had to do it when you guys weren't expecting it. Don't worry, I knew what I was doing. I knew you'd be fine when you woke up," Danny replied.

"Well, I saw a few interesting ghosts in your ghost files. How come you never told us about Hotep-Ra?" Robin resumed with a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, you saw that one huh? If you want I could tell you about him now. I never really thought about him since Tucker's the only one that can wield the spectre and conjure Hotep-Ra and he's now trapped with a sphinx," Danny offered with a shrug. And with that, things ran smoother as Danny told his story with ease. Once Danny finished his story, through their giggles, one of the other teens volunteered a story to tell. All stories based in zoos, circuses, labs and jungles were avoided to make certain that gorillas and scientists weren't mentioned.

After two hours, Black Canary decided that was enough time for a first try for Danny to return to normality. With a slightly disappointed frown Danny left with her to have a therapy session with her.

"Wow, he's a lot better already," Kaldur remarked once Danny was gone.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe that he was a nervous wreck a few weeks ago," Robin agreed. Batman smirked and silently agreed with both teens.

"We'll have to wait for Black Canary's verdict before getting our hopes up. For all we know, Danny might have felt a lot more worried or awkward than he let on," the dark knight interjected. The teens nodded in understanding but couldn't help the surge of optimism after seeing Danny surprisingly confident.

"So Danny, how was that for you?" Black Canary asked as they stepped into his bedroom. Danny smiled as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"It was… nice. It was a little awkward at the beginning but after we started talking, it was like nothing had changed," Danny answered. Black Canary beamed.

"That's fantastic Danny. Do you want to try a little longer tomorrow with Garfield and Danielle? We could organise a movie so things aren't as weird," Black Canary offered. Danny nodded readily.

"Why weren't they there?" Danny inquired with a curious frown. Black Canary bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't want to bring attention to their fears but she had to say something.

"We thought it best to take it slowly with a few people at a time," Black Canary replied.

"Yeah, but two more isn't going to make much of a difference. The team is a big group," Danny pointed out. Black Canary sighed. She'd have to be more honest with him.

"I was concerned how you'd react to Garfield and Danielle. Danielle can be a little forward and I know you find that uncomfortable right now," Black Canary started. Danny tilted his head in agreement. He could see Black Canary's reasoning there. Danielle, while the physical appearance of a thirteen year old, was more childish in her actions. Without an obvious warning, she could have alarmed him with her usual loud and outgoing personality.

"And Garfield… we were concerned how you'd react to him because of his powers," Black Canary added carefully. Danny blinked in surprise. It took a few moments before he understood what the heroine meant by that but when he did, he was upset that they thought him that fragile.

"Gar's powers don't bother me Black Canary. Okay, if he suddenly changed into a-mm… a gorilla, I might freak out. But the fact that he can doesn't bother me. I hadn't even thought about it before you mentioned it," Danny informed her, faltering on the word gorilla. It made him so angry that even the word could strike fear in his heart. He wanted to conquer that fear. But it would take a lot of time before he would, he could sense that much. But if he could just get to the point where talking about the creatures didn't paralyse him with terror, he'd be happy.

Black Canary noticed the pause in Danny's speech and supressed a pitying sympathetic sigh and concerned frown. But she was glad to hear that Danny thought he'd be fine around Garfield. However only time would tell if he was right. It was one thing to be talking about it. It was quite another to be facing the young shapeshifter. They sat down, Black Canary in her chair and Danny on the bed.

"So, I think we should go back over a few things from when you were with the Guys in White. Your lingering feelings from that ordeal may have heightened or been reawakened from your last kidnapping and torture," Black Canary decided. Danny shrugged.

"Okay. What part do you want me to talk about?" Danny asked.

"Let's start from the beginning. Tell me how you got caught. How you felt?" Black Canary suggested. Danny took a deep breath and thought back. With a surprised blink, he realised how long ago that had happened. Just before school broke up for the summer and now it was the beginning of December. Time really did fly.

**Yep it's December now which means Christmas is on the way in this story. **

**How will the movie get together with everyone go? **

**Let me know what you think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	96. Chapter 96

Everyone was excited. The entire Saturday afternoon was scheduled to be spent with Danny. The entire team, Danielle and Garfield together again after three weeks where Danny spent his recovery time in almost complete isolation in his bedroom. They had a comedy movie marathon set up ready, a few board games and plenty of junk food. The only things keeping them from their plans was Black Canary and Danny. The heroine wanted to make sure Danny was ready for the afternoon to come. She'd be there the entire time, but she was still a little concerned that Danny was pushing himself out of his comfort zone to get better quicker. While pushing those boundaries was good and healthy, Black Canary wanted to make sure that the teen wasn't making himself completely unsure and uncomfortable and so unable to actually enjoy himself. This was what the afternoon was for. Some fun bonding time between the team and cave occupants to help Danny to learn to be happy with company again.

Black Canary walked with Danny through the familiar halls.

"If you don't think you're ready it's alright Danny. And if you've had enough just tell me," Black Canary assured him for the fifth time that day. Danny nodded.

"I know Black Canary. You said that. But I really do want this. Honest. It'll be nice to be back to normal. To be able to pretend that nothing horrible happened. I know I can't ignore it before you say anything. But I want to be ready for this. And the only way we'll know if I am, is if I try," Danny replied with a determined expression. An unspoken desire was that this afternoon would be fine. Without any flashbacks, freak outs or awkwardness. If he could manage all that, then he could consider leaving the cave to meet up with Sam, Tucker and Jazz. He could reassure them that he was getting better. Something he didn't feel he could do without being face to face with them. Words were one thing. Evidence was another. And he hated how upset and worried they were after seeing him after his most recent ordeal.

They paused at the kitchen door. It was decided that the afternoon be spent there. Black Canary glanced at Danny as he took a deep calming breath.

"Remember, we all understand that you've been through something terrible. No one will be upset if you decide you've had enough. So, if you do, don't hesitate to let me know. You don't have to push yourself to get better. Take this one step at a time, alright," Black Canary reassured him again. Danny nodded, starting to get nervous.

True the previous meeting with the team had been good. But that was a little conversation. This was an organised afternoon of bonding time. This had taken effort. Whether it was choosing a few movies, buying the junk food or sourcing the games, it had taken them some effort to put together. Just for him. Not that he thought that the others wouldn't enjoy the afternoon doing these things. But he wasn't naïve enough to think that they wouldn't have chosen everything with care. Picked movies with no scientists or primate animal stars. Bought food with carefully selected labelling. No foam gorilla sweets for example. Found games that couldn't possibly remind him of what he'd been through. So much planning. Planning which on one word, he could toss down the toilet. He didn't want to get upset or to freak out but a part of him thought that the meeting the day before had been a fluke. He feared that this afternoon would turn out a huge disaster. He wasn't sure if that was just him being pessimistic or being so much more nervous because so much rode on this day going well. Not that anyone but him knew that.

Black Canary put a hand on the door and gave Danny one last glance before pushing it open and they entered. There was a sudden wave of unease as the others turned to him with big grins but the moment M'gann greeted him warmly, it lessened. Danielle bounded over to him and gave him her most concerned look, asking how he was. He gave her a similar non-committal answer he gave the team the previous day. To say he was doing great, it would be a lie. Fine, he wasn't fine. He barely got enough sleep since the medication was removed. Black Canary resorted to playing soothing music on low and getting him warm milky drinks to help him drop off. Even at ridiculous times of the night after he woke with a yell from a nightmare. It was a good thing Batman and Black Canary had had the foresight to make sure Danny's bedroom wasn't too close to the other full time residents. His screams didn't wake the others, thankfully. So the only truthful answer he could give was that he was getting better.

Within a few minutes everyone had gathered around the large television and gave Danny a selection of comedy movies to pick one from. He wasn't too fussed as he already knew that they'd done the research to make sure there were no triggers for his PTSD so he chose the one with the brightest, weirdest cover, completely by accident, picking the comedy movie about ghosts. Bowls of popcorn and chocolate was spread between them all and Danny found himself sitting beside Black Canary and Danielle on a few beanbags that had been sourced. After that, things were incredibly smooth. Smoother than any of them could have hoped for. They all laughed at the ghost movie and then the next which was an old pirate movie. They ate some proper, savoury food M'gann prepared, nothing fancy. But after all the junk food, the real food was a welcome reprieve. Then they settled down to play a few games, settling into teams with Black Canary there to even the numbers up.

It was night before any of them realised and the team members with homes to go to left. The remaining teens and Black Canary settled for one last movie before calling it a night. By the time it was over, Danielle had fallen asleep with a smile on her face and Garfield could hardly stand up any longer. Conner carried Danielle to her room while M'gann guided her brother to his own room. Black Canary and Danny returned to his room, settling down for the night to come. Danny only woke up three times that night, half the normal amount.

**Aw, Danny having fun and bonding time with everyone.**

**See I don't just torture the halfa.**

**But will Black Canary agree to Danny's idea to meet up with his friends and sister?**

**How will the meeting go if she does?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	97. Chapter 97

With such a success, Danny finally felt confident enough to ask Black Canary to set up a meeting with Sam, Tucker and Jazz. He explained his reasoning for wanting to meet them and not his parents and the heroine agreed to organise it. In preparation for his meeting with his friends and sister, Black Canary took Danny out of the cave for the first time to walk the streets of Happy Harbour. It was the first time he'd been outside the cave, beyond the beach and surrounding forest for anything but a mission or a quick visit home, usually on business. It was a trial run. If he freaked out during this walk, Black Canary would have to call off his get together with his friends and sister organised for that weekend.

Danny swept his hair from his eyes and glanced at Black Canary. Despite being one of the heroes who never hid her face, she still maintained a secret identity and so she had grafted together a disguise. She had tied her long blonde hair back into an elegant pinned bun and wore jeans and a simple shirt with a thick scarf and gloves. Nothing flashy and yet, she looked different enough to make it hard to recognise her. Maybe it was the fact that Danny had never seen her out of uniform though. He, himself, didn't need anything to disguise himself. Black Canary just gave him a hoodie so he could hide from cameras. Despite the Light giving up on him previously, if they saw how much he'd recovered they might try again to recruit him. Also, as one of the very few heroes with a blown secret identity, even though it wasn't publicly known, his presence in Happy Harbour could tip off villains to where the teens had set up headquarters. Something that could be disastrous.

With their disguises ready, and Black Canary donning the name Dinah, they were ready to go. Batman was gracious enough to lend them a car. Danny had no idea where the dark knight sourced it from, but it made things a whole lot easier. Black Canary attempted to encourage Danny to wear a seatbelt but he just felt too confined to be comfortable wearing one yet. That was on their list of issues to deal with, right next to his ghostly wail and fear of gorillas. They drove into town and parked in a half-filled car park outside a mall. They got out and Black Canary dropped the keys into her pocket after locking the car. Danny gulped nervously. Even before he was kidnapped by Nocturne, he'd never tried anything like this. He'd walked around in Amity Park, true. But this somehow felt more daunting. It wasn't anywhere he knew and he knew no one. This was something completely new to him. He was glad to have Black Canary by his side while he pushed himself out of his comfort zone.

"Ready?" Black Canary asked. Danny nodded, not trusting himself to talk. The heroine had gotten a lot better at reading him and he knew if he spoke, she'd hear his uncertainty. It wasn't enough to chill the air, yet, but he doubted she'd notice even if it did. Not in this frosty weather. Winter was definitely here now. With a surprised blink he realised he hadn't been outside in almost a month. That was before the first frosts had started. They walked across the quiet car park. It was a school day and the rest of his age group were supposed to be in school.

There was a blast of dry, overheated air just inside the sliding doors and Danny paused as he heard screaming toddlers, the loud hum of normal conversation and shop music and announcements. The normal din that accompanied every mall when open. It shouldn't have surprised him, but the volume had. He supposed it was because he had been deaf the last time he was in this environment.

"Danny, are you alright?" Black Canary asked, concerned for the halfa.

"Just… just surprised by the volume. Dunno why, but I didn't expect it to be so… loud," Danny admitted, slightly disorientated by the overwhelming clamour of mid-week shoppers. Black Canary put a gentle, reassuring hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the doors so they weren't in the way anymore.

"Do you still want to try this?" she inquired. Danny considered the question for a moment before nodding. He had to get used to sounds like this if he wanted to re-integrate into normal society.

Black Canary gave the teen a concerned glance but decided to allow the test to continue. She scanned the mall for ideas and threats.

"Is there anything you want to try in particular?" Black Canary asked. She was extremely worried about triggering his PTSD but as long she could guide him away from any gorillas or French accents, he should be fine.

"Er… not really. It's been a long time since I've actually hung out in a mall," Danny admitted. Black Canary glanced at him. She understood. He was out of practice and he was unsure of what he would be alright with.

"If you'd like, we could do some Christmas present shopping. It'll get us into a few different shops and give you a chance to test your limits," Black Canary suggested. She knew for a fact that at least M'gann, Zatanna and Robin were going to get the halfa gifts as they'd asked for her input. And she could already sense Danny's awkward confession that he hadn't gotten anyone else anything. Danny nodded in agreement for the plan.

Carefully they walked away from the entrance and made their way towards the first shop, a clothes shop. They perused the racks for inspiration, spotting a new beanie for Danielle that Danny swore blind that the girl would love despite Black Canary's reservations. The beanie was all black with sparkly rhinestones dotting the fabric sporadically. It was quite girly and Danielle had definitely proven to be a tom boy. They also spotted a pair of combat boots that Danny decided to get for Sam. Her ones were getting scuffed and dull from the months of ghost fights they'd endured. Of course he didn't know if she'd replaced them yet but he knew Sam well enough to know she would never pass up on having a spare pair of boots.

The next shop they went to was a bookshop and Danny found a thick book on psychology. He had no clue what titles Jazz had but he did see that the book was a new release with new research inside. They also found a cookbook with plenty of exciting recipes for M'gann to try. The next shop they went into was an electronics shop. Danny laughed as he picked up a boxset of Garfield the cat episodes and just knew he had to get it for Garfield. He also found some music that he knew Artemis would like and a game he was certain Tucker would love. The game was about a cyborg and how he led technology to rule the world. He'd joked with Tucker in the past that the techno-geek had screwed up allegiances when it came to his PDA. Danny also found a boxset of recorded lessons on martial arts that he knew his mother would appreciate. The woman loved that kind of thing. Anything to improve her ghost hunting.

Then they went to a sweet shop and bought a ton of fudge for Jack. They found some durable running shoes for Wally who went through shoes quicker than Danny could keep track of. Danny found a jacket Conner would like, thankfully Black Canary knew the clone's size. Danny found an interesting scarf covered in archaic, mystical looking symbols for Zatanna. It took a while but they eventually found a beautiful necklace for Raquel, with Black Canary's encouragement. The hardest were Robin and Kaldur. As Kaldur was a little older and from a water dominant world, in other words Atlantis, Danny wanted to get something suitable. It had to be waterproof. That was essential. But it also had to be a little more mature than a jokey hat or programme. Eventually in the same shop as they bought Raquel's necklace, they found a fancy watch that could be set at up to three different time zones. It was waterproof too. Danny checked with the salesperson, saying that his friend did a lot of scuba diving.

By this point they'd been shopping for a while, Black Canary using a card provided by Batman to pay for everything. The shopping trip had been uneventful too with only two near disasters that Black Canary easily prevented. One was a person dressed up as a gorilla outside a toy shop that Black Canary dodged by going into a shop and going out a different exit. The second was a couple with strong French accents walking towards them in a clothes shop, Black Canary managed to distract Danny by engaging him with a conversation about the scarves they were looking at, starting a light-hearted debate on whether or not to buy Danny a scarf as well.

They decided to stop and get something to eat in the food court. They set their bags down and Black Canary decided to get the food while Danny sat at their table. Both to reserve their chosen table and to prevent Danny triggering his PTSD by something at the food stalls. Black Canary got him a cheeseburger and fries and milkshake and got herself a diet soda and a chicken Caesar wrap and fries. She was glad to have left Danny at the table as the burger place had a jungle theme, complete with animal motifs and jungle themed food names. They ate in comfortable silence with Danny mulling over his dilemma with Robin. He had no idea of what Robin would want. The guy was very secretive and serious. But he also had his childish moments. Danny didn't even know Robin's actual name. None of the team did as far as he knew. He toyed with the idea of getting something Batman centred but... something made him think that Robin wouldn't appreciate it.

He surveyed the food court. Despite the enjoyable morning shopping he was still on edge. He couldn't help it. He didn't feel safe in such a large building surrounded by strangers knowing that at any second something might trigger his PTSD. Like Black Canary, Danny had tried his hardest to avoid anywhere that could potentially trigger his PTSD. That meant avoiding any shops with French connections. He purposefully avoided any toy shops in case of any gorilla plush toys. He also never argued with Black Canary when she guided him to or away from things. He trusted her judgement completely.

While they were eating there was a loud crash nearby and a young child began to scream and cry over the lost meal. Danny tensed and clenched the table, struggling not to bolt out of the food court. Black Canary turned to him, asking with her eyes if he wanted to leave. He clenched his jaw and cringed as frost started to creep over the table. The screams were starting to remind him of his time in the Guys in White. He didn't want to leave. But he wasn't sure if he could handle hearing that child any longer. It was a conflicting situation. If he left, he'd not be able to get Robin's Christmas present and Black Canary might call off the organised outing at the weekend with Sam, Jazz and Tucker. But if he stayed, his ice powers might escalate out of his control and he might hurt someone, most likely Black Canary and the group of business people at the next table.

"Danny, is it too much?" Black Canary whispered, just loud enough for him to hear over the exaggerated screams behind him. Danny shook his head stiffly. He could hear the child's mother muttering in embarrassment to the child to try and appease them. Danny was tempted to turn around and shout at the child that it didn't understand anything. Screaming over losing their meal was completely unreasonable. He knew things to scream about. He'd endured more than this child could ever imagine enduring. Gradually the child's screaming lessened and Danny spotted a frazzled looking woman, clutching a red-faced young child's hand, shuffle past, mumbling numerous apologies to anyone that sent annoyed looks towards them heading towards an ice cream bar.

Danny scowled at the child before turning his gaze to his hands. They were coated with a thin blanket of frost as were the wrappers in front of him and his tray. The table wasn't as noticeable as it was white already.

"Are you alright?" Black Canary muttered with concern. Danny nodded slowly. He jumped when Black Canary touched his hand gingerly and gave him her woollen gloves.

"To hide the frost while it melts," she explained. Danny flashed her an apologetic, guilty glance.

"It's alright Danny. You weren't the only one upset by that kid's crying," Black Canary assured as he carefully tugged the gloves on to his hands. It felt a little uncomfortable to start with. He wasn't used to wearing gloves and wearing clothes he wasn't accustomed to tended to make him feel a little restricted. But the feelings passed quickly.

"Danny, if you want to leave, I understand," Black Canary reassured him, putting a tender comforting hand on one of his.

Danny took a deep breath. Did he want to continue? He felt tense and worried after that episode but as the sounds of chatter filled the food court again, he slowly relaxed once again.

"I'm okay. I want to finish before we leave. I only have to get Robin's present. Besides, kids being unreasonable is normal right? If I ever want to get back into a normal setting, I have to learn to cope with that," Danny decided. Black Canary sighed but nodded in agreement. They threw away their trash and stacked their trays, making sure to leave Black Canary's on Danny's to hide the frost while it defrosted. They gathered their bags and returned to the shops.

**So, yeah, Danny's is still struggling after everything that happened but he's getting better.**

**But will anything else happen before the end of this trial run?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	98. Chapter 98

Danny sank into the car seat. It took a while but they found a suitable gift for Robin. Black Canary slammed the trunk shut, startling Danny and shaking the car before dropping into the driver's seat. Unfortunately the shopping trip hadn't been plain sailing after they left the food court. Schools let out and the mall was flooded with young school kids, shouting and laughing raucously. They pushed and shoved each other, disregarding who they bumped into.

Danny had been looking over a shelf for ideas on Robin's Christmas present and Black Canary had been watching a young child with a gorilla toy when two boys pushed Danny. It was a case of mistaken identity but it was enough to frighten Danny. The two kids were lucky not to end up frozen solid. Both boys had laughed, apologised and when they saw how shaken Danny was, who was struggling to control his ice having feared Guys in White or Light agents attacking him, had begun to tease him. Thankfully Black Canary had interjected and spouted a lie that his best friend was killed in a mugging less than a week ago and that Danny saw the whole thing. It almost made Danny grin as he saw both boys freeze in horror and shock. Both boys, suitably scolded and shaken by hearing that they'd frightened someone who had had a terrible experience, babbled a number of apologies and offered to make it up to Danny before Black Canary waved them off, with a calm "you've done enough".

Danny sighed loudly as Black Canary fiddled with the ignition. She stopped and looked at Danny.

"Are you alright Danny? Those boys didn't hurt you right?" Black Canary worried. Danny shook his head.

"No. It's just… I know what you're gonna say. But I'm sick of being so scared. I'm sick of everyone having to tiptoe around me. I'm sick of having these out of bounds topics. I was almost myself again, apart from the problems with my ghostly wail and nightmares. I was almost normal again and then I go and overshadow Doctor Fate and get kidnapped by Nocturne and the Light. It's December. I got taken at the beginning of the summer. Before all this, getting shoved or hearing a kid scream over dropping their fries wouldn't have bothered me," Danny replied, rolling the tension out of his shoulders as he slumped down in the seat.

"Danny, you just need to be patient. This is a bleep, you'll recover given time. And I'll help you," Black Canary muttered. Danny huffed and rubbed his face.

"I know! I know all that! I know. Black Canary you've said it all before. Danny Phantom is a name to respect. Ghost hero of Amity Park. But all I feel like right now is a victim. It was great when I was asked to join the team. I actually felt like a hero again. But… I dunno. I guess, I feel like a failure right now. I just… one win. That's all I want. I haven't had one for months," Danny retorted, dropping into a desperate tone. Black Canary bit her lip.

"It's only been a month Danny. Give yourself time. Once you've recovered a little more, then you can go on a mission with the team again," Black Canary offered, it was all she could say.

"I'm not talking about this most recent trauma. I'm talking about since the Guys in White took me. Name one win I've had since then," Danny replied, looking at Black Canary. His blue eyes begged her to find one for him.

"You saved Danielle," Black Canary answered.

"Yeah and had a massive breakdown afterwards. I don't think you can call that a win," Danny immediately discounted the suggestion.

"Alright then, what about when you saved your family? Or beat Skulker?" Black Canary replied. Danny sighed and shook his head.

"They don't count?" Black Canary challenged.

"The only reason I saved my family in time and didn't get caught myself was because the guys got there just in time. Without them it would have turned out a lot differently. And as for Skulker… it's hardly a win. The first time was a fluke. I managed to fire off a ghost ray and stun him long enough to use the thermos. And the second time… I'll be honest, Plasmius set that up, I'm sure of it. He left him behind and I was so angry at Plasmius, that Skulker knew he was in trouble. No I'm talking about a real win. One where I face a bad guy or whatever, fight it in a real fight and come out on top. The kind of wins I got when I was in Amity Park," Danny clarified. Black Canary blinked in surprise. She did understand the type of win Danny wanted, and she couldn't think of one since the Guys in White kidnapped him, but she couldn't offer it to him. Those were wins you earned, not the type given to you by others.

"Danny, what brought this on?" Black Canary wondered. Danny ran a hand through his hair, damp from melting snowflakes and frost.

"Nothing. Nothing in particular. I'm just… frustrated. I'm tired of being sick or mentally unwell. Whatever label you give it when you're recovering from being tortured. I know I'm getting better. But I want… I want to be back to normal. To feel confident. To be able to go home again. There's no escaping it! I… how can I be Phantom again when… when I'm like… like this?" Danny replied. Black Canary turned to face Danny as he stared hopelessly into his lap at his hands.

"Danny…. Do you remember when you first met me?" Black Canary inquired. Danny nodded.

"Do you remember what you were like back then?" Black Canary pressed.

"A wreck," Danny mumbled. Black Canary sighed exasperatedly.

"No. You were confused. Scared. Weakened. You couldn't walk. Your throat hurt so much you couldn't talk much. You were injured. But I never saw you as a wreck Danny. Because you never were. Even after so long in captivity and extensive torture, you saw an opportunity to run and you took it. You saw me and understood I didn't mean you any harm. You are strong Danny. And I have seen that every day since. Yes, you've had good days and bad days. But you have come so far from that injured, weaken person. That was why you were given a place on the team. Not because you have powers. Not because you can fight. None of that. It's your inner strength that earned you that place. And inner strength is what people admire Danny. Just look how far you've come in a _month_! You've healed your injuries. You've left the cave. You coped with everything thrown at you far better than I anticipated. Trust me Danny, that win you want… You'll get it. Personally I only see wins, every time you face your fears or push yourself, is a win in my eyes," Black Canary resumed. She felt that Danny needed to remember how far he'd actually come. He'd lost sight of his progress and was only seeing the journey ahead.

Danny looked up from his lap. He gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Black Canary put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I promise you Danny. The only person who sees a victim is you. A hero isn't always strong and infallible. A hero is a person that can get up despite the worst falls, get up and do what they know is right without letting their fears and insecurities stop them. Like when you saved Danielle," Black Canary added. Danny flicked his gaze to the window, looking at his troubled reflection.

"I guess I don't feel like I've gotten up yet," Danny mumbled, almost too quiet for Black Canary to hear. Black Canary sighed. The sooner Danny could hold his own again, the better.

"Do you want to go back to the cave now or go somewhere else? I was thinking of bringing your friends and Jazz to Happy Harbour so you at least get the chance to go to wherever you guys go beforehand," Black Canary asked. Danny turned to her with a surprised look. She smiled at him. So that was it. He thought she'd call off the get together because of what happened in the food court and on the way back to the car.

"I mean it Danny. That's still going ahead. You did cope very well given what happened. I will warn your sister of your PTSD triggers but I'm willing to let you go with them, without me to watch you. Your sister and friends know you best. They'll be able to soothe you if something happens," Black Canary added in confirmation of his unasked questions, genuinely meaning every word. Danny couldn't believe his ears. Not only did Black Canary think he was ready to go on an outing with his two best friends and sister. She was ready to let him go _without_ her. That was huge! He struggled for words. He was grateful. He felt so happy that she trusted him and his confidence grew.

Black Canary was the one person who had seen Danny at his worst. She was the one he confided in. He suspected that Black Canary kept Batman informed on anything big she learned and he'd be surprised if the dark knight hadn't looked into what Danny had endured. But Black Canary knew what he thought. How he felt about what had happened to him. There was very little that the heroine didn't know about Danny since being kidnapped. He may not have told her about every bad day he'd ever had, but he had told her, in detail, everything that had happened to him since that fateful day in Amity Park when he flew straight in to a trap. Well, everything he could remember. And she thought he could cope with a day without her reassuring presence in an unfamiliar setting.

He gave up on talking and smiled at her instead. This smile reached his eyes.

"So, anywhere you and your friends might like to go? Nowhere is off bounds, as long as you're comfortable visiting there," Black Canary inquired again. Danny gave a small laugh and shook his head.

"I dunno. What is there?" Danny finally replied.

"There's an arcade. I think there's an amusement park, but that's only open during the weekend when school's open. But we could still slip in and make sure you're comfortable with it. But remember it will be a lot louder and crowded when open. Um, there's an art gallery and museum. Aquarium too. There's a bowling alley as well. Cinema. Anywhere else you might want to go? I can't think of anything else off the top of my head," Black Canary listed.

"Can we go to the arcade and bowling alley? I don't think I'm ready for an amusement park just yet. Not with crowds," Danny requested.

"You got it. Arcade first or bowling?" Black Canary affirmed.

"Uh, arcade please," Danny decided with a shy, grateful smirk.

Black Canary turned the key in the ignition and drove through the gritted streets to the harbour boardwalk. She parked a few blocks from the largest arcade in the town.

"There's a few here, but word is that this one's got the most attractions. I'll need to get some change before we start playing," Black Canary mentioned as she opened the door. Danny pushed his door open and hopped out. He shut the door, flinching at the loud thud he made. Black Canary smiled at him as she shut her own door and locked it. Loud noises could startle Danny again as he was struggling with renewed PTSD and he was still a little wound up after the mall. She could tell that they may have overstayed their welcome in the mall for Danny. She led the way to the arcade and Danny faltered at the door as the loud music, sound effects and excited shouts reached him. Black Canary patiently waited for him. Danny licked his lips and edged into the arcade with Black Canary. Black Canary went to the back and held out Batman's card to get some change for the amusements. She decided to start off with twenty dollars of change.

They then walked through the arcade, Danny tensed instantly when they passed a jungle themed coin slot machine emitting monkey shrieks. Black Canary put a hand on his shoulder and muttered a quick reassurance in his ear as they walked away. They found a space themed machine and won a few plastic toys that no one ever actually wanted other than for bragging rights. Fingers stained black from the filthy coins and pockets full of flimsy rocket keyrings and comet shaped erasers, they left the arcade once they ran out of money. Danny felt that the visit had gone alright despite the near freak out with the monkey screams. They then went to the bowling alley, dumping their winnings into the glovebox.

Bowling was relatively better, despite the crashes as balls hit bowling pins, the clamour faded into the background as normal sounds. In fact it was the best location yet as few people ventured in other people's bowling areas and there was no chance of gorillas making an appearance. They washed their hands and ate at the bowling alley as they'd been playing for a long time by now. Once they were finished eating and had played two games of bowling, they returned to the car and Black Canary began driving back to the cave.

"Thanks Black Canary. This was really nice," Danny muttered with a soft smile as they parked in the hanger.

"No problem Danny," Black Canary replied and heaved a bag of presents out of the trunk and made her way towards Danny's room.

**So things went smoothly… for the most part anyway. Smooth enough to convince Black Canary to allow Danny to meet up with his friends and sister.**

**But how will their day together go?**

**Until the next chapter.**

***SPOILER ALERT***

**There's been a number of reviews recently expressing concern that there won't be a happy ending for this fanfic. So, I feel I have to issue this spoiler to put people at ease. And this chapter feels like an apt one to issue it on.**

**This story is a journey for Danny through a long and dark tunnel but there is a light at the end of it. This fanfic is named finding home, not losing it. I also wouldn't have started posting a doom and gloom story during the current stressful and fearful situation. And to put people more at ease, there will be 140 chapters upon completion of this story. So the journey is half over.**


	99. Chapter 99

Jazz worried her lip between her teeth. Batman and Black Canary had explained the situation to her. Gorillas and French accents caused PTSD triggers for her brother. Loud noises startled him and confrontation could alarm him. Sam and Tucker were sitting anxiously on a park bench outside the mall. Sam kicked her feet absently and Tucker wouldn't stop fidgeting. They'd gotten into town the previous evening. Black Canary had greeted them out of uniform and drove them to a decent hotel. Their room was paid for and any additional fees, Batman would cover. Jazz suspected that Batman's alter ego must be rich. If he could cover hotel fees, loan them a car, give them a card for their expenses and offered to pay for room service and so on, he had to have a lot of money or to have robbed a bank recently. And seeing as Batman's a hero, Jazz didn't think he'd steal the money.

She was glad that her brother had asked to see her and his friends. Her parents had been a little upset at missing the chance to see their son, but Jazz understood. Maddie could be a little over the top on the best of days and if restriction made Danny uncomfortable, then Jazz completely understood his choice not to see their mother. Their father could be pretty loud too and overly friendly which might make Danny uncomfortable also.

But she was worried about her little brother. The last time she saw him, there was no other word to describe him but broken. She was so angry at the Light. It wasn't enough that they tried to wipe out everyone that cared about Danny and deafened him. They had to destroy all the progress he'd made from leaving the Guys in White too. Jazz didn't know exactly how bad he'd been back then and something made her think that he had been worse this time around, but she was furious. And the worst thing was that her brother wouldn't get justice this time either. The Light were too smart. Too elusive. The chances of them getting caught were slim to none.

She kept her eyes glued on the car park. Waiting for any sign of her brother. Every car that parked up, she watched with tense anticipation until she saw the occupants, none of them her brother. Black Canary had also told the three teens that Danny was comfortable with visiting the mall, bowling alley and arcade/amusements, giving Jazz strict instructions to avoid as much as possible gorillas and French things. Jazz had curiously asked why those two things were PTSD triggers and Black Canary answered simply that it was linked to the Light members responsible for hurting Danny. Jazz didn't press for details, both sensing that she wouldn't get them and that she didn't want to know more.

Jazz's eyes widened as she spotted a teen with dark hair walking self-consciously towards them beside a blonde woman, Black Canary out of costume. Sam and Tucker jumped to their feet the second they saw Danny. They rushed forward excitedly but Black Canary caught their eye and shook her head in warning. Danny released a long breath and smiled nervously at them.

"Hey," he mumbled.

"Hey man, how are you doing?" Tucker replied cautiously.

"Yeah, we've been worried about you," Sam added. Jazz scanned her brother's face. He looked a lot better than the last time she'd seen him. At least he was walking without support now and able to make eye contact with them.

"I know, I… just didn't know what to say," Danny admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Jazz edged closer.

"Um, can I touch your shoulder?" she requested. Danny blinked and nodded.

"I'm a bit better at that now. As long as I can move, I'm okay," Danny informed her and Black Canary gave a confirmatory nod.

Jazz smiled and put a hand on his arm.

"It's great to see you little brother. We've missed you," Jazz muttered. Danny smirked at her.

"Well, I'll let you four get on your way. Oh, Danny, here. I'll be in town the whole day. If you really need me, you can contact me on that. Have fun," Black Canary announced and handed Danny a small ear piece. He took it and with a small grateful smile, slipped it into his jeans pocket. Black Canary gave the group one last wave before heading back to her car. Jazz, Sam and Tucker watched the heroine go before turning to Danny.

"So, um Danny. What's okay and what isn't?" Sam inquired. All three were at a loss. They weren't used to Danny being so fragile and after seeing him last time so broken, they didn't want to make a mistake and upset him. Danny shrugged.

"Me and Black Canary had a dry run during the week. I was fine for the most part. She told you guys about my PTSD triggers right? As long as those are kept at the minimum I should be fine. I'd prefer you try to act normal around me if that's okay," Danny told them.

"Oh, uh okay. Sorry dude," Tucker muttered. Danny shrugged.

"I get it. I wasn't… I didn't look all that great last time you saw me. But I'm getting a lot better," Danny assured them.

"Shall we get going?" Jazz asked, waving a hand towards the mall. Danny nodded and the siblings led the way towards the sliding doors.

They were hit by the overheated dry air and an explosion of sound. Sam, Tucker and Jazz glanced nervously at Danny, but thanks to the test run a few days prior, Danny wasn't surprised or overwhelmed by the noise this time. They continued walking and spent the next couple of hours doing some light-hearted shopping. The group of four quickly relaxed into each other's company, laughing and joking with each other. They went to the food court together and got some lunch. Danny's choice of a sandwich parlour surprised the group until they noticed the jungle themed burger place. They sat together and chatted happily about Amity Park as they ate. Danny tensed a few times as people shouted nearby or brushed him as they passed but for the most part he was fine. He really wanted to show the three of them that he was better and assure his parents that they didn't need to worry about him.

After they ate, the group decided to leave the mall and got into the spacious car Batman lent Jazz. She drove them to the harbour boardwalk and they walked to the amusements. It was a lot busier than when Danny and Black Canary went there but Danny was able to block out the shouting and loud music. They spent another three hours there, using Batman's card to get plenty of change to win useless prizes. Jazz wasn't as enthusiastic as the other three played shooting games, claw machines, coin slot machines and air hockey, however she was able to ensure they kept a wide berth of any potential PTSD triggers such as a jungle themed coin slot machine that periodically emitted monkey shrieks. She also spotted a lab based shooting game that Jazz stopped Sam and Tucker running to as they were lost in their excitement.

They left with blackened fingers and pockets filled with plastic things and joke fake money. They then went to the bowling alley and left their prizes in the car. They went to the bathroom to wash their hands, bought some sodas and began playing bowling, buying two games to start with. Sam won the first game and Tucker and Danny tied for the second. They got some dinner after that and played one more game before they decided to call it a day. They drove back to the mall and Danny contacted Black Canary.

"Danny, will you write to us again now?" Sam asked hopefully while they waited.

"I er I'll try. It's just hard to find stuff to tell you guys," Danny replied.

"It's fine Danny. We understand. Just send us a letter when you can," Jazz assured him. Danny nodded in response.

"You're a lot better by the way dude. A lot," Tucker remarked. Danny smirked and shrugged.

"I have my good days," he mumbled.

"Do you hallucinate still?" Jazz wondered. Danny blinked.

"Black Canary told your parents when she was in Amity Park," Sam explained.

"Oh, well, um. I only really hallucinate when I'm on my own, but it's not as bad," Danny replied self-consciously.

"What do you see?" Jazz pressed.

"Can we not talk about this?" Danny requested.

"Sorry," Jazz muttered.

"S'okay," Danny murmured with a slight shrug.

"What would you prefer to talk about?" Sam asked. Danny shrugged.

"I dunno, but I'd prefer not to talk about what's wrong with me," Danny replied.

"Danny, there's nothing wrong with you," Jazz interjected.

"Right, normal people hallucinate," Danny retorted with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not your fault dude," Tucker mumbled in response. Danny sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry, it's… it's a sore subject for me," Danny explained and turned away from them to scan the car park for Black Canary. Jazz, Sam and Tucker exchanged wary, worried looks.

"You shouldn't bottle these things up Danny," Sam whispered. Danny groaned in frustration.

"I talk to Black Canary alright. Can we just drop it?!" Danny snapped.

"Alright Danny. I'm sorry for bringing it up. We're just worried that's all. We'll stop asking," Jazz interjected apologetically. Danny gave a stiff nod in recognition but didn't turn back to them.

"How's Danielle?" Tucker inquired, eager to break the tension. Danny shrugged.

"Haven't seen her much but she seemed okay. She's taking care of Cujo right now," Danny answered. The three teens cringed. They wanted to move away from the fact that Danny was still recovering but it wasn't easy. Before they had focused their conversations on what was happening in Amity Park or funny stories in the past alongside joking around while they played games. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they spotted Black Canary walking over to them.

"Sorry I took so long. Traffic was crazy, you guys alright?" Black Canary greeted them. The four teens nodded but the heroine seemed to pick up on the tension.

"The car's in that direction, I'll catch up Danny," Black Canary informed him. He nodded and start making his way to the car after a quick farewell to his sister and best friends. Black Canary waited until Danny was out of earshot before she turned to the three teens.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I mentioned that we knew about his hallucinations and asked if he still had them," Jazz admitted. Black Canary hummed in understanding.

"I know you're worried about him, but honestly he's recovering very well. But he hates other people knowing how… how vulnerable he can be. The more normal you can treat him, the better. I'll keep you all informed alright, I promise you," Black Canary replied.

"We're sorry. It's just everything went so well today, we thought it would be alright to talk about that stuff," Sam mentioned. Black Canary sighed.

"I understand Sam. He has improved a lot. The team were surprised by his progress too. But… I hate to say this behind his back, but he does have his bad moments too. And that's a side he's frightened to let others see," Black Canary told them with a warm, reassuring smile. They nodded.

"I'll come around tomorrow morning to take you to the airport. I'm glad you had a good day with him. This day will help his confidence. Were there any problems at all?" Black Canary concluded. The three teens shook their heads and waved as the heroine walked off in the direction Danny went.

**Overall, a good day. Just an unfortunate bleep at the end. **

**But at least Danny was able to show his sister and friends how much better he's doing.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	100. Chapter 100

Danny was waiting beside the car when she reached him. He looked up and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I was asking your friends and sister what was wrong," Black Canary explained. Danny nodded. She unlocked the car and he dropped into the seat with a small plastic bag she hadn't noticed beforehand. She sat in the driver's seat and clicked her seatbelt on. Danny still hadn't managed to clip a seatbelt on himself.

"Did they tell you?" he asked.

"They did. And they meant no harm. You understand that, right?" Black Canary replied. Danny sighed and nodded.

"I do. It's just… it's always been my job to keep them safe. Or at least as safe as possible. Being so… so weak, I don't like them seeing that. But I can't stop them from seeing how bad I was straight after the Light kidnapped me," Danny replied. Black Canary nodded.

"They're your friends. Your older sister. They want to be there for you. They don't care that you're not feeling like your old hero self right now. They want to help you regain that lost confidence," Black Canary muttered, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder before turning the key in the ignition.

They drove in silence out of the car park. Black Canary glanced at Danny as they came to a stop. The teen was gazing out of the window sadly, watching the world go by.

"Do you think I'll ever get better? Like back to the way I was before I was taken by the Guys in White?" Danny asked suddenly. Black Canary blinked and Danny turned to her.

"No. I don't. I think you'll be _stronger_ for what you've been through. But I do think you'll make a full recovery. Normal is relative in my book. A kid in Happy Harbour's normal is completely different to a kid in Amity Park's normal. And our normal is different too. So… don't be too focused on achieving that word Danny," Black Canary answered as she pulled forward and continued onwards. Danny frowned.

"Do you think hallucinations are normal then? Do you think having nightmares every night is normal? What about being frightened by children screaming or kids shoving?" Danny challenged, but there was a desperation in his eyes. A desperation begging Black Canary to assure him that everything would be alright. Black Canary sighed as she turned a corner.

"Danny… scars come in many forms. Some you can see. Some you can't. And some given time, heal. I'll admit seeing things isn't normal but you're getting better at coping with it. Soon your hallucinations will stop affecting you and maybe even fade into nothing. Nightmares… if you honestly think that other heroes don't have their own demons, then you're kidding yourself. M'gann has nightmares. Batman and Robin do. Zatanna does. There are others. As for fears of loud noises, you overcame that once before, to a degree, you can overcome it again. It's a symptom of PTSD and PTSD can be cured given time and proper treatment," Black Canary replied.

Danny turned back to the world outside, it was getting dark by now. He watched as a group of boys, obviously friends, walked past, on their way home.

"Sorry," Danny mumbled. Black Canary frowned and glanced at him in confusion.

"Sorry? What for?" Black Canary wondered.

"I guess, I forget sometimes that I'm not the only one who's been through stuff. Back home, my friends have always been there for me, but… they don't know what it's like you know. And some stuff I have to face alone," Danny explained.

"Like what?" Black Canary pressed.

"Oh, uh. Well not much really. I had to face Undergrowth alone, Sam was kind of possessed by him and Tuck, along with the rest of the town, was captured ready to be fed to a bunch of ghost plants. My ice powers had just activated, great timing really, but I was struggling with control. I was… scared of failing. I told Frostbite. It was the first time I properly admitted that stuff. Frostbite just told me that a hero isn't a person that is never scared, but a person that pushes forward despite the fear," Danny recalled.

"Smart guy that Frostbite," Black Canary commented with a nod of agreement.

Danny gave a shy smirk and nodded too. Black Canary glanced at Danny as she waited for him to continue, sensing there was more.

"Go on," she prompted once she knew he wouldn't continue without a push. Danny bit his lip and glanced at her.

"Well, facing Pariah Dark wasn't easy either. He was the Ghost King. Most powerful ghost in the Ghost Zone. I wasn't even sure that I would go back home afterwards. I had to do that alone because it was way too dangerous for Sam or Tucker or anyone else to help me. I had a glitchy suit my parents made that would increase my strength. It worked. Really well. But it was a close fight. And if Plasmius hadn't come with the key in time, I would have lost," Danny recounted. Black Canary nodded.

"The close fights are always the hardest ones. Sometimes you can't help but think "what if this had happened instead" or "what if that hadn't happened then". But those are also the fights we learn from best. We learn our limits. We learn what we're capable of. But they are hard to remember. I understand," Black Canary remarked. Danny smirked gratefully at her.

"Most people would say I was reckless or foolhardy, I didn't exactly have a plan other than beat the Ghost King," Danny pointed out. Black Canary shrugged.

"That may be but I can see you took a necessary risk and despite a plan, you knew what you were doing," Black Canary commented.

"But there's another time isn't there? You mentioned an evil future self once," Black Canary reminded him after a few moments of silence. Danny sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. That was hard. The worst actually. Because I did lose. Clockwork saved the day and rewound time for me. He got into a ton of trouble too," Danny mumbled. Black Canary raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Black Canary asked. She had seen in previous therapy sessions that Danny was afraid to lose his family and friends. He was also afraid to lose control of himself. And she figured this dark future held the answers.

"It's… a long story," Danny muttered.

"I've got time. If you want to talk, I can listen," Black Canary assured him.

He glanced at her before sighing and turning to face her.

"Alright. It was during the C.A.T.s when I was fourteen. I was stressing over the test because I hadn't studied enough because of all the ghost fighting and stuff. Mr Lancer, my teacher, was putting a lot of pressure on all of us and Jazz had achieved the highest grade in the C.A.T. I had a lot of pressure on me to do well," Danny began. Black Canary nodded in understanding.

"So, I was in the middle of studying and doing practice tests in the kitchen at home when a ghost attacked. Box Lunch, daughter of the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady. Long story short, she's a ghost from the future that can control box and lunch based objects. She attacked me and we ended up in the Nasty Burger. Mr Lancer had handcuffed the results to his wrist in a briefcase and he was there. During the fight, I super-heated a sachet of Nasty sauce. That sauce gets too hot and _boom_. So, I beat Box Lunch, basically wrecked the restaurant and got blown by the explosion through Mr Lancer's briefcase covered in sticky sauce. The test results got stuck to my back," Danny resumed.

Black Canary glanced at the teen, sensing where this was going. Danny swept a hand through his dark hair and sighed loudly.

"I was gonna cheat. I even broke the seal. Then another future ghost, a fusion of Skulker and Technus attacked and I was interrupted. During the fight, Skulk-tech, me, Sam and Tucker were transported to Clockwork's clock tower in the Ghost Zone. Clockwork is the ghost of time and he'd been ordered to kill me. To prevent my future happening. A future where cheating on the C.A.T. lead to my family, Mr Lancer, Sam and Tucker being at the Nasty Burger when it exploded from a whole vat of Nasty sauce exploding. That guilt and grief consumed me in that timeline and when I went to live with Plasmius he helped me to remove my ghost half. My ghost half then fought back, tearing Plasmius's ghost half out, merging with it and I think he killed my human half. Judging from how future Plasmius was talking," Danny continued. Black Canary gasped and glanced at Danny. Perhaps this talk would be better done when she wasn't preoccupied with driving.

"After that, my crazy ghost half went on a ten year rampage. Destroying the world. Messing up ghosts so bad they couldn't follow their dreams or hobbies. So anyway. That's why Clockwork wanted me dead. Tucker got a hold of some time medallions, they stop Clockwork's powers working on you and enable you to travel through time. Without the medallions, you snap back to your present. So we escaped into that hellish future. My evil self tried to kill Sam and Tucker but they got their time medallions off. I… I wasn't so lucky. My future self grabbed me and phased the time medallion inside me, intangible and unreachable. He then tied me up in ectoplasmic bindings and sent me into the Ghost Zone. The ghosts didn't listen or believe me, maybe they just didn't care, when they found me. They started beating me up. I was trapped, scared. I just… I just wanted them to get away," Danny explained.

"You used your ghostly wail," Black Canary realised and looked over to see Danny nod in confirmation.

"I freed myself and found Plasmius. The guy was kind enough to help me remove the time medallion inside me and I returned to my timeline. Unfortunately, my evil self had come back to this time and took my place. He cheated on the test, made sure my family, friends and teacher were at the Nasty Burger. Jazz figured out that future me was an imposter and tried to stop him. So he tied them to the vat with ectoplasmic bindings. I tried to fight him fast enough. I even used tech my dad invented to help me, ghost gauntlets and spectre deflector. But even though I used my new ghostly wail and beat my future self, I was out of power and too late to save everyone. The place blew up," Danny recalled and shut his eyes in shame, his vision blurring with tears at the memory.

"Is that when Clockwork saved them?" Black Canary whispered. Danny nodded.

"He froze time, protected them and rewound time to the start of the C.A.T. test. I owned up to taking the results and peeking. I got detention but Mr Lancer was nice enough to let me take the test the next week instead. I didn't do too bad in it after all. But…" Danny concluded, trailing off sadly.

"You still remember failing," Black Canary finished for him sympathetically. He nodded.

"I never told Sam, Tucker or Jazz about that fight. I kind of figured why tell them when it never happened. But I vowed to never turn into that future. And I'm keeping that," Danny revealed, giving Black Canary a firm, determined look, startling the heroine as it was a side Danny didn't show much anymore.

**So Black Canary is beginning to understand why Danny does the things he does, why he's so guarded.**

**And she can see the old Danny is still in there too. **

**But let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Or any theories you might have on what might happen next.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	101. Chapter 101

A few days after Danny's outing in Happy Harbour with his friends and sister, he had begun to wander through the cave. Cujo, his hearing returning steadily, was overjoyed to see the teen after over a month apart. Cujo refused to leave Danny's side for fear of losing the teen again. Danny even sat in on training sessions and lessons with Red Tornado. Gradually he eased himself back into everyday life in the cave. The team were glad to see Danny more and were careful to avoid startling him unnecessarily. Garfield even took care in his training sessions to never turn into anything gorilla-like in case Danny walked in.

A week later, one week before Christmas, Danny asked Black Canary if he could start training again. He wanted to get back used to it again. If he could be certain he would be able to fight without panicking, then he'd feel a lot more confident and at ease. He couldn't be certain that ghosts wouldn't track him down after all. Many ghosts did wind down and avoid disagreements around Christmas due to the Christmas Truce but once the New Year came, then it was every ghost for themselves.

Black Canary wasn't sure about it but agreed, asking Danielle to take her place in case Danny panicked and used his powers. Danielle was far better equipped to deal with ghost powers than Black Canary. They waited until the others were at school to limit causalities if this turned out horribly wrong. Red Tornado was ready for any injuries, Garfield, despite orders, decided to watch from the side lines and Black Canary was ready to jump in and help. Danielle morphed into her ghost form but it was decided that they wouldn't use powers to duel. Danny remained in his human half to avoid temptation. Cujo was left tied up to a metal girder by phase-proof thread in the hanger, much to the ghost dog's displeasure, to prevent him getting confused and getting involved in the spar.

Both halfas faced each other and when it became apparent that Danny wouldn't make the first move, Danielle lunged forward to punch him. Danny gasped but dodged the attack. Danielle paused as she saw Danny needed a moment to get his emotions back under control. He panted and swallowed down his fear before he shook his head in frustration and readied himself again, nodding to Danielle to keep going. He had had a sudden uncontrollable wave of terror at being attacked but he wanted to overcome this. They repeated the process a few more times, Danielle rarely getting more than three or four swipes at him before Danny withdrew and needed to collect himself again.

Black Canary was just about to call it a day when Danny squared his shoulders and lunged at Danielle for the first time. Danielle yelped in surprise but blocked the punch. Danny attempted to sweep Danielle's legs out from under her but the girl jumped. The spar went on for another minute before Danielle shoved Danny back and he tripped, falling on his back to the ground.

"Danny? You okay?" Black Canary called when he didn't get back up.

"Yeah. I didn't realise I was so out of practice," Danny panted.

"How do you feel?" Black Canary asked as she walked over to the teen, Danielle had taken a step back and crossed her arms, waiting for the next step, be that dismissal or another spar. Danny pushed himself up onto his elbows and turned to Black Canary.

"Alright. It wasn't easy at the start but I kind of relaxed into it," Danny answered.

"Do you want to have another spar?" Black Canary ventured. Danny bit his lip before shaking his head.

"Not now. I'm getting tired. Is that okay?" Danny replied. Black Canary smiled and nodded.

Danny got to his feet and left to have a shower. Honestly he didn't know how he felt. He felt adrenaline pumping through him. His heart was hammering in his chest. He was sweaty and hot. But his mind was blank. It was like he got hit on the head and couldn't remember the last five minutes. He sank down on to his bed. He'd wrapped all the presents already and hidden them under his bed. He scanned the room and tried to figure out how he felt. Was he as he said? Was he alright after that spar? He stopped because, yes he was tiring, but also because he didn't want to push himself too far and being unable to figure out if he was okay, or freaking out so much he couldn't tell wasn't helping. He glanced at the door to his on suite bathroom. He should probably have a shower while he was there. He said he would and he did need one.

He stepped into the bathroom, checked that there was a towel and plenty of hygiene products before locking the door. He checked that he was completely alone and pulled off his shirt. He breathed a deep, steadying sigh. Undressing, while easier, was still difficult for him. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, nearly losing his balance and falling over as he did. He unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them over to his shirt and shoes. This was the hardest part. He turned on the shower and while he waited for the water to heat up, he built up his courage to pull off his boxers. They were always hard as it was the one thing that stopped him from being entirely naked. With a frustrated growl, he pushed them off and darted into the shower, hissing at the cold water. The water helped. It distracted him. Prevented him feeling the cold air which would remind him that he was naked.

The water warmed and Danny scrubbed his body and washed his hair quickly. Showers tended to be quick for him nowadays. While not horrible, there was no excusing the fact that he was uncomfortable. Danny was about to step out when he stopped himself. He bit his lip and sighed in the steamy room. With the water cascading down on him, he took the moment to feel naked. He always tried to avoid thinking about that. But he was avoiding the problem and he knew it. Black Canary was great and never pushed him too far but this was something he had to face by himself. Only he could decide to stop ignoring his reflection in the mirror or pretend that he was clothed in some way.

He stood in the shower and reflected on the spar. He acknowledged that he was afraid of confrontation and tried to figure out why exactly. Then he realised. He wasn't afraid of confrontation at all. He was scared of being attacked and caught again. Pursing his lips he shook his head, flinging water from his dripping hair. The reason he couldn't sort out his feelings was because they were so conflicting. He was fine with fighting as long as he wasn't in danger. The moment he felt threatened, he started to panic. But how could he overcome that. He guessed he'd have to practice being in those situations and not losing himself. But that was risky. He couldn't do that alone in case he bit off more than he could chew. But doing it with someone else meant that that person could be in danger.

Danny sighed again and wiped the water out of his eye. He had so many insecurities. He needed to start getting over them. Gorillas. French things. Being naked. Feeling threatened. Being restrained. His ghostly wail. His nightmares and hallucinations. He looked up and true enough there was a shadowy figure in the far corner. Danny almost jumped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. But he stopped himself.

"Why don't you leave me alone?" Danny asked the hallucination. It was the first time in weeks that he'd acknowledged one more than to scowl at it or record what it said. The figure tilted its head.

"Because you believe that we are right," the hallucination answered in its chilling French accent. Danny shuddered, surprised that the hallucination actually answered.

"I believe this is real. The cave. Black Canary. The team. My family and friends. They're real," Danny retorted firmly. The figure nodded.

"Maybe. But that's not what I meant. You believe yourself a failure. A shadow of yourself. You are looking for answers but you have none. You believe us when we tell you that you're broken," the shadow explained, again in its French accent. Danny opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself. This was his mind. He knew that. He would only be arguing with himself. The hallucination was right. He did think those things. Well most of the time. He had waves of blinding optimism where he thought for a second he wasn't a failure. Times when he truly did think he would get back to Amity Park and return to being Danny Phantom. But apart from checking his ghost half's progress and health. He hadn't changed into Phantom in weeks.

"You haven't changed because you don't see that _hero_ as yourself anymore. You hardly use your powers anymore. And you feel so blank and conflicted because you've lost sight of why you became Danny Phantom," the figure remarked, seeming to follow Danny's internal thoughts.

Danny looked up and turned off the shower water. He stepped out and grabbed a towel, ruffling his soaked hair to stop it dripping everywhere.

"So what do I do? How can I stop seeing you? How can I stop feeling like this?" Danny inquired but when he looked back to the corner, the shadow was gone. He sighed and turned to the mirror. He moved the towel out of sight and took in the sight of his naked body for the first time in a very long time. His heart sped up but as he looked. He realised nothing bad was happening to him. He bit his lip nervously and closed his eyes. He gently moved a hand over his skin before he reached his thigh. Gulping, he touched his private area, he frowned but nothing bad happened again. With a long breath he opened his eyes and began drying himself off, pulling his clothes on and stepped back into his room. He looked at the time. Black Canary would be with the others during a training session. He had the next hour or two to spend alone. He decided to meditate on what his hallucination said. He'd lost sight of why he became Danny Phantom.

**Hmm… could this be a turning point for our favourite halfa or another blockade to his road to recovery that he didn't know about before?**

**Let me know you guys think.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	102. Chapter 102

Black Canary was getting worried about Danny. Ever since his spar with Danielle a couple of days ago, he'd been distant and quiet. He spent long periods of time in his room. She'd heard him talking to himself and she feared that he had accepted the hallucinations, acknowledged them and used them to interact with instead of her or the team.

"Danny, is something wrong? You've been very quiet lately," she ventured. Danny leafed through letters from home and shrugged.

"No. I've just been thinking a lot," Danny muttered.

"About what?" she pressed. He glanced up at her and shook his head.

"You don't have to worry Black Canary. I'm not thinking about bad stuff. Just trying to figure some stuff out," Danny assured her before settling on his sister's letter to him.

"I could help," Black Canary offered.

"I think I need to figure it out for myself Black Canary. But thanks," Danny decided and smiled at his sister's written words. He had yet to write back to them.

"It's good to talk about these things. And when I say talk, I mean to someone other than yourself… or shadows," Black Canary urged. Danny glanced at her before putting the letters down beside him.

"Oh. You er heard me then," Danny mumbled.

"Yes. Please Danny. Is there something bothering you? Do you need to talk to me or tell me anything?" Black Canary pressed. Danny sighed and shook his head.

"I've… been feeling really conflicted lately. Especially since my spar with Dani. I… I took a chance and asked one of the shadows why and they explained. I'm just trying to make sense of what they said," Danny admitted.

"I could help," Black Canary repeated. Danny shook his head.

"Like I said, I need to figure this out for myself. You wouldn't be able to help," Danny replied.

"Danny, tell me. What are you trying to figure out? I just want to make sure you're alright," Black Canary insisted.

"The shadows said I've lost sight of why I became Danny Phantom. They're right. I need to figure out why I became Danny Phantom again," Danny relented. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"The shadows are helping you now?" she remarked in surprise. Danny shrugged.

"Not really. I mean they're just me right. They still say some mean stuff but they do explain why I feel like that sometimes. Some shadows are nicer than others," Danny replied. Black Canary frowned but she didn't know whether she should discourage the action. Danny was trying to puzzle out an issue they hadn't realised he had until now. Not that she was surprised. Danny had been through a lot. But should she encourage him to talk to his hallucinations?

"Don't worry. I know they're not real and this is. But if they're rooted in my problem then shouldn't I try to face them?" Danny interjected following Black Canary's reasoning. Black Canary sighed worriedly before nodding. It did make sense.

Danny gave her a small reassuring smile and turned back to the letters. Black Canary watched him for a few minutes as he read Jazz's letter to him and then Sam's and Tucker's after that. He was just opening the letter from his mother when Black Canary had enough of the silence.

"Did anyone tell you the plan for Christmas?" Black Canary inquired. Danny shook his head, lifting his gaze from the page.

"Well, since most heroes have family to be with on Christmas, Christmas day, unless there's a crisis somewhere, is off duty and everyone spends it as they wish. You're free to go home too by the way. But Christmas Eve, we all gather in the cave, protégés and mentors and have a party. It's always been team only and their mentors, me and Red Tornado. Of course this year, you, Garfield and Danielle are welcome as well. We do the full works. Turkey dinner. Egg nog. Presents. Last year J'onn treated us to a traditional Martian song. But if you don't want to go, it's fine as well. It's not compulsory," Black Canary explained. Danny considered the offer.

"No. It'll be nice. I want to go. Not so sure about going home though if everyone's off duty," Danny decided.

"It is one day. And as long as you remain human, the Guys in White shouldn't track you down. But it's up to you," Black Canary reminded him.

Danny frowned in thought.

"I'll think about it. Honestly I've never really liked Christmas," Danny admitted with a shrug. Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"Why? I thought everyone liked Christmas. Or at least young people like you did," Black Canary pointed out. Danny sighed.

"My parents have this argument. Every year they shout at each other and spout off facts and so on to prove or disprove the existence of Santa Claus. It ruins every year. They're banned from the mall when they put up their Santa's workshop for kids. They're not allowed into the local tree farm to buy a Christmas tree. Mom has this bad habit to bringing the Christmas dinner to life and it tends to attack me or Jazz because they're too busy arguing. So once Christmas carols start playing, I tend to get grumpy because every year, something bad happens," Danny explained. Black Canary frowned.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Have you ever told your parents how you feel?" Black Canary ventured. Danny nodded.

"Either they don't hear me because they're arguing or get distracted, or I explode and it comes out all wrong. It's their tradition. I can't really stop them. But after my first Christmas as a halfa, I kind of made the Ghost Writer angry by accidently wrecking his Christmas poem. He cursed me until I learned my lesson that I shouldn't let my bad mood affect everyone else. I learned it and I'm a bit better now," Danny told her.

"Well, the offer's still there. I don't mind taking you to Amity Park in the morning and bring you back later that day. It won't take long," Black Canary concluded. Danny smiled and turned back to the letter from his mother.

An hour later, Black Canary left Danny in his room in order to head a training session with the team. Danny turned his thoughts inwards and considered his question. Why did he become Danny Phantom? He knew the origin story. Went into the portal. Genius design led to the on switch being inside. He turned it on. Great big flash. DNA altered. Half-ghost. But that was how he became Danny Phantom. Not why.

Danny tried to recall that first month. The terrified glances at his parents while he flickered invisible or his intangible hand sank through a table. The countless times Sam or Tucker saved him being figured out or hurting himself. The embarrassment every time he tripped, fell or dropped something because of his powers. Then that afternoon down in the lab. His father was showing him and his friends the portal and some other inventions. Two ecto-puses attacked without Jack knowing and Danny, the only one able to help, did. He hadn't tried to be a hero, he just wanted to protect Sam and Tucker, and his father but he wasn't in direct danger at the time. Danny blinked. He didn't become Danny Phantom to be the hero. He became Danny Phantom out of necessity. He had to fight because if he didn't people would get hurt. People would get hurt by ghosts that probably used the portal in his basement. The portal he got working.

Danny furrowed his brows as he followed that train of thought. There was a shadow taunting him but Danny ignored it. The Lunch Lady. Sam was in danger. The school afterwards was in danger. Technus, he infected the stuff Danny sold for selfish reasons without his parent's permission. It was his mess. He cleaned it up. Meeting Walker and getting arrested. He shot Jack's wedding anniversary present into the Ghost Zone, so when he thought that his parents were gonna get divorced, he went in after it. Pariah Dark. He was the only strong enough to face the guy. Nocturne. He was the only one awake in Amity Park. Undergrowth, only one free and able to stop the ghost. There were so many times that he did something heroic because if he didn't, then… who would? Danny stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He abused his powers sometimes, but he only changed when he had to. That was why he became Danny Phantom. He became Amity Park's home grown hero because they needed one and he was the only one who could fit the bill.

Maybe he had lost sight of that because he had become the victim. He had needed a hero. And really… he still did. He was still recovering. He needed protection, reassurance. Time to heal. Danny nodded to himself. He would conquer his fear of gorillas. His fear of being threatened and restrained. He would conquer his issues with his ghostly wail. Not because he should or was encouraged to do so. But because he was the only one who could beat his insecurities. And he'd do it, not because it was expected. But because he had to in order to return to Amity Park and protect his town again. It wasn't right that his family and friends were fighting his battles, his enemies that used the portal he fixed. First step. Gorillas. Danny grabbed his laptop and opened it up. In the search bar he typed gorilla images and decided to tackle actually seeing the image of one before attempting to find a living one.

**This will either go really well or really badly. Any guesses which way it'll go?**

**Will Danny go home for Christmas?**

**How will Christmas Eve go for the halfa?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	103. Chapter 103

It was Christmas Eve and Black Canary was waiting for Danny to come out of his room. He had changed the last few days. He pushed himself. She had even noticed that he took longer showers, asked to be hugged regularly and to her shock, he had demanded to watch Tarzan, a film all about gorillas. And possibly even more surprising, he was coping with this sudden increase in exposure therapy he'd given himself.

The rest of the party guests were in the kitchen, chatting, drinking and generally having a good time. She thought this party would be good for Danny. He finally stepped out of his room, dressed and ready for the party, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Some of the more festive heroes had donned Santa hats and Christmas jumpers. She shrugged to herself. At least he wasn't acting like a scrooge and hiding in his room.

"Uh, I don't know what to do with the presents," he admitted, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Oh, right. Sorry. For the next few days the training room is shut and Red Tornado put up a tree in there. You can put them under that. Want a hand?" Black Canary explained. Danny shook his head and ducked back into his room before returning with two large bags filled with presents.

She walked with him to the training room. The normally bare and spacious room had a towering pine tree coated in red and gold tinsel, shimmering baubles and glinting, warm, yellow fairy lights. Underneath the tree was already cluttered with presents. She held a bag for him while he sorted through the blue wrapping paper sprinkled with silver snowflakes they bought together, checking the plain silver tags for who they were meant for and removing the gifts meant for his family and friends to return to an empty bag. It took a couple of minutes but they returned the gifts for Amity Park to Danny's room and headed towards the kitchen.

Danny opened the door and walked in like it was completely natural, bringing a smile to Black Canary's face. He was regaining his confidence in leaps and bounds. And she could tell he was being casual, not forcing himself to do things or acting. She crossed the room to stand beside Green Arrow who handed her a mug of egg nog.

"How's he doing?" he muttered.

"A lot better. I don't know what's gotten into him recently, but he's completely changed his outlook. He was so focused on feeling like a victim he couldn't heal but now. I wouldn't be surprised if he was ready to re-join the team next month," Black Canary replied, watching Danny ruffle Danielle's head playfully and chatting to Superman and Conner.

For the first hour, everyone just mingled while the guests arrived. Batman was last and only stayed long enough to officially declare everyone off duty and that if there were any issues he and the heroes that preferred to work during the holidays would cover everything. He left, Robin opting to stay behind for the party. Black Canary rolled her eyes at the dark knight. He really was too uptight. Once that was over, everyone made their way to the tree where Red Tornado read the present tags and gave them to the others. Danny blinked in surprise when he saw that everyone but Danielle and the adults had gotten him presents. Danielle had gotten a little teary eyed and apologised when she also got gifts since she had gotten nothing herself, never having properly celebrated Christmas before. Black Canary had been surprised and a little guilty herself as she forgot to take Danielle out with her to the shops for her to do some shopping. Garfield had done his shopping, with M'gann's help, online getting it delivered to the post office for his adoptive sister to collect on his behalf.

The team were a little surprised when they got gifts from Danny, who, as a second thought, mentioned they were from both halfas. Danielle loved the hat Danny got her, loudly claiming it was like the night's sky. Danny gave Black Canary a brief smug look, clearly saying that he was right. Robin received a lot of joke gifts of robin-associated stuff or Batman things. But he blinked in surprise at Danny's gift to him. It was an in depth, printed copy of all his ghost files. Danny figured the best gift was to give Robin access to his files for him to examine at his leisure. He was right. Robin had grown interested in Danny's ghostly enemies and now he could learn everything Danny knew.

The team mostly got Danny video games, a few movies and a couple of books on ghosts. All gifts were chosen with care to avoid upsetting Danny. But the biggest shock was when Red Tornado handed Black Canary a gift from Danny. It was a royal blue winter set of a thick woollen scarf, gloves and hat with a note. It told her how grateful Danny was for her help. She wondered when he got the chance to get her a gift before she recalled the bag he brought back from his outing with his friends and sister. She was touched.

Then the heroes returned to the kitchen and ate a feast of vegetables, roast potatoes and a massive turkey. It was filling and enjoyable. They all chatted happily and Black Canary saw Danny sitting with Zatanna, Garfield, M'gann and Danielle having fun as he ate. Once everyone was sufficiently stuffed after dinner and collapsed onto the couch or bean bags to watch an old kids' movie about Christmas or to play cards. It was a pleasant peaceful evening until Danny and Danielle's ghost sense went off.

The team stared at the halfas worriedly. Danny frowned at Danielle in confusion and got to his feet.

"Who do you reckon it is? Didn't you say there's a truce?" Danielle remarked as Danny led the way to the door.

"Wouldn't be the first time it was broken to get pay back with me," Danny replied. The team rushed after the halfas. Danny stopped in his room and grabbed a thermos before continuing on through the back to the beach. Danny raised an eyebrow. Standing on the beach facing the sea was a tall man in a white suit, complete with cape, and pointed black hair.

"Great, fruit loop's paying a visit," Danny grumbled before stomping over to the halfa.

"What are you doing here?" Danny growled. Vlad turned to the teen, giving Danny a grin, showing his pointed fangs.

"Merry Christmas to you as well Daniel," Vlad drawled.

"I'm not playing Vlad. Why are you here?" Danny retorted.

"I came to visit you for Christmas. Check on your progress. I noticed that your family and friends seemed a little concerned recently," Vlad answered. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"What have I told you about staying away from them?" Danny snarled.

"And you are avoiding the question," Vlad pointed out.

"What question?" Danny scoffed.

"What happened to you? Your progress has regressed," Vlad inquired with a stern scowl.

Danny folded his arms and scowled at Vlad.

"Last I checked, I don't have to tell you anything," Danny retorted. Vlad growled in anger and grabbed a fistful of Danny's shirt. The team, having kept back with Danielle, started forward.

"The truce," Danny gritted out. Vlad huffed and pushed Danny away from him, releasing the teen's shirt.

"Blasted law," Vlad hissed. Danny straightened his shirt, pulling the creases taut.

"Daniel, just tell me," Vlad sighed. Danny crossed his arms before sighing in defeat and rolling his eyes when he saw Vlad wasn't going to drop the matter.

"The Light caught me if you must know. I'm dealing with it," Danny relented. Vlad pursed his lips.

"How did they catch you?" Vlad asked. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"_I'm_ dealing with it Vlad," Danny snarled.

"And I want to know how they caught you! Did you mess up like the idiotic child you are?!" Vlad shouted with frustration.

"That's not fair! Nocturne ambushed us!" Wally yelled before slapping a hand across his mouth.

"Well done Kid," Artemis hissed at him, making sure not to blow Wally's secret identity to the halfa visiting.

"Nocturne," Vlad repeated with a protective growl.

"Vlad, don't. I will deal with him. You're not in any danger. And neither are my family. The Light let me go. They gave up," Danny interjected, spotting the halfa's red eyes getting angrily brighter. Vlad blinked and stared at Danny.

"They… gave up. Daniel. Why?" Vlad asked. Danny growled in irritation.

"Vlad. Stop acting like you care. Get lost. Go annoy Skulker in the Ghost Zone," Danny retorted. Danny turned to go but Vlad grabbed the teen's shoulder and spun him around to face the older halfa.

"Why? You're not leave until you tell me," Vlad snarled.

"I was crazy! Alright! Happy now?! I was crazy. Insane. Cuckoo! Still am a bit. I was too much for the Light so they got rid of me," Danny exploded, shoving Vlad away from himself. Vlad blinked in surprise.

"Crazy? Daniel… I want the truth," Vlad replied.

"That is the truth Vlad. You really think I'd lie about that," Danny spat and spun on his heel, storming away from the man.

"Danny?" M'gann called. He waved her off and slammed the back door into the cave. Danielle scowled at her creator.

"He really is far too dramatic about these things," Vlad scoffed.

"Vlad, you didn't see him. You have no right to say any of those kinds of things. Danny's been through hell. So… just leave him alone," Danielle muttered, deafeningly loud in the quiet, the only sounds being the chilled breeze and the crashing waves. Vlad spared the girl a glance before he teleported away in a cloud of pink without another word.

The others returned to the cave and found Danny talking to Black Canary, assuring her he was fine and it was nothing to worry about before dropping into a seat with Garfield and starting a card game with him and a few of the other male heroes. He soon calmed down and began enjoying himself again. The team and Danielle decided among themselves not to bring up Vlad for the next few days.

**So as usual a visit with Vlad upsets Danny, but what will happen after that little meeting?**

**It took me a long time to figure out all the presents for Danny to get the teens, especially Robin but I think I came up with a good one in the end. What do you guys think though?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	104. Chapter 104

Danny decided to take Black Canary's offer and spent Christmas day at home with his family. Dragging Danielle with him as he felt bad for her and he was her only real family. Cujo tagged along too as he refused to be left at the cave alone. For the first hour or so, the family spent their time in awkward silence until Danielle started playing with Cujo and Danny, behaving much more like himself now, teased the girl from the side lines. Jazz watched her brother but she could tell he was different from when she last saw him in Happy Harbour. Over dinner, they relaxed into each other's company.

After eating they opened presents, Jazz, Jack and Maddie feeling terrible for not having anything specifically for Danielle, they hadn't thought to buy one for her as it was a complete surprise that the female halfa was even spending Christmas with them. Jazz dashed upstairs and raided Danny's bedroom to grab a Dumpty Humpty CD for Danielle and a book from her room for the clone to read. Danny raised an eyebrow at the gifts.

"Shut up. I'll replace it later but it's not fair that she gets nothing," Jazz hissed at him as she passed. Danny smirked and kept his mouth shut.

"Here Danielle. I didn't get them wrapped because I was gonna send them with Black Canary next time I saw her," Jazz lied. Danielle squealed in excitement and accepted the gifts, Danny had already given her some credit for the gifts he got his family.

Jack offered to play checkers with Danielle, Maddie volunteering to help her with the rules. Jazz sat beside Danny.

"You're looking a lot better by the way Danny. Not that you didn't look good in Happy Harbour. But you look, you know, more like yourself," Jazz remarked, smirking as Danielle cheered as she took one of Jack's pieces.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I… I wasn't in a great place. I was struggling to be honest Jazz. But I… ugh, don't be a complete shrink about it alright, I talked to my hallucinations and figured out my real problem and I've been working on fixing that," Danny admitted. Jazz blinked at him.

"What was your real problem then?" she ventured. He turned to her and sighed.

"I'd forgotten why I became Danny Phantom in the first place. I wasn't getting better because… because I'd lost myself and I needed to find it again. Black Canary offered to help but it was something I had to do by myself you know," Danny answered. Jazz nodded in understanding.

"And have you? Found yourself I mean. Or are you still looking?" Jazz asked. Danny bit his lip.

"I think I know how to find myself again. Does that make sense?" Danny replied. Jazz nodded.

"Do you need help?" Jazz offered. Danny shook his head.

"Like I said. It's something I need to do myself. I don't think it's something anyone can show me or tell me. I need to figure it out for myself. Like before. Sam and Tucker didn't turn around and tell me who I should become. I made the decision to protect the town. Every day. No matter what happened. Before, I felt like I'd been made to retire or got fired. Now it feels more like a sabbatical. You know?" Danny replied. Jazz nodded, a small smile tugging on her lips. It was wonderful to hear Danny confiding in her. Explaining what was going on with him. Even if he wasn't asking for help, she didn't feel like he was shoving her away anymore. Maddie clapped loudly.

"Now you say "King me!" Danielle," Maddie told the girl who eagerly shouted the order to Jack. Jack placed a counter on Danielle's with a scowl.

"Is there anything in particular you want to talk about?" Jazz asked her brother, waiting for the argument that tended to brew after a game of checkers. Maddie tended to win and she was a bad winner, and Jack was a bad loser. Danny smirked at the trio, Danielle blissfully unaware of the coming fireworks.

"I've missed this. I mean it. I've missed being home," Danny muttered. Jazz put a hand on his shoulder, recalling that he was comfortable with that.

"And we've missed you too little brother," Jazz mumbled in reply. Danny glanced at her.

"If you want to hug me or something, go ahead. I'm trying to get over that. I figure I can only do that by facing it," Danny interjected before returning his gaze to his clone, Cujo was curled up by his feet on the floor. Jazz blinked and slid her arm carefully around his shoulders and gave him a gentle side squeeze.

"Is that alright?" she whispered. Danny nodded.

"I forced myself to wear a seatbelt on the way here. Haven't been able to do that since, uh well, since I left the Light. It was uncomfortable for the first half hour but after that I stopped stressing over it," Danny informed her. Jazz beamed. Progress! Her brother was getting better! Yes, Black Canary kept them well informed but all she could offer were things like, "he's started to train with the team again" or "he's spending more time outside his room with Cujo and Danielle". They didn't know how stressful the training was. For all they knew, it was a case of standing in a room practicing forms like yoga. But hearing the fact that Danny could wear a seatbelt again. He could cope with hugs again. It was progress they could understand. Progress to encourage them and bring them joy for their missing family member.

"Tell me if I'm going too far, okay. But your hallucinations… do you still have them?" Jazz ventured. Danny nodded.

"It's not a big issue. Sometimes they startle me, you know I look up and they're there. But I can usually ignore them. To be honest, I'm kind of grateful to them. If it wasn't for them explaining to me what was wrong, I'd still be depressed and running away from all my issues. I wasn't even sure about coming here today until yesterday," Danny answered. Jazz blinked.

"So you're not just trying to get over feeling confined?" Jazz realised. Danny shook his head.

"No. I'm trying to face all of them I can. I watched Tarzan a couple of days ago. Took a bit since I paused it a few times to calm myself down and I had to turn up the heat as I did make a bit of frost. But I got through it. And I'm glad I did. I'm gonna ask Gar to turn into a gorilla for me soon so I can face one in the flesh. It's not the same, I know but it's a start," Danny informed her. Jazz frowned.

"Gar?" she repeated in confusion.

"Garfield. Sorry. He lives at the cave. He got a blood transfusion from M'gann a while ago and when his mom died, it caused him to turn green, grow fur and a monkey tail. He can shapeshift into animals," Danny explained. Jazz bit her lip, she recalled the green furred boy from when Danny had been rushed to Amity Park after becoming unstable due to overshadowing Doctor Fate.

"That's terrible. Is it reversible?" Jazz whispered.

"Doesn't seem to be. Which means he's kind of stuck in the cave now. M'gann adopted him as her brother though. I reckon he could be able to change back to normal, maybe not colour as that never changes, but his shape if he can think of a name for his new appearance. Right now, he can't separate Garfield from what he's become and if he can't differentiate, then how can he focus on turning back to normal?" Danny answered. Jazz raised an eyebrow. Danny rolled his eyes.

"It help me when I first became half-ghost," he added with a shrug.

"How long has he been like that? Because I'm guessing he doesn't have a new name yet," Jazz asked.

"He got there like a week after I did. Actually it was his crying that pushed me to leave the medical facility. Once I learned I'd been rescued I kind of didn't want to risk being caught again," Danny confessed, blushing slightly.

"We win! In your face!" Maddie exclaimed.

"No fair, it was two against one!" Jack moaned. Jazz shook her head.

"I swear, it's like they're kids sometimes," Jazz muttered to herself before getting to her feet and guiding Danielle away from the escalating argument. Danny smirked at his parents, not even noticing that the shouting wasn't frightening him at all.

Once the argument burnt itself out, the rest of the evening was spent in comfortable company. The Fentons were overjoyed to see Danny again, looking so much better. Danielle was having a lot of fun too. Danny told his parents a little about his life before he was kidnapped by the Guys in White as both parents were curious. Black Canary returned late that evening, apologising, saying that she lost track of time. Danielle, Danny and Cujo left Fenton Works. Danielle fell asleep on the drive back to the nearest Zeta tube. Danny clipped on his seatbelt and felt a slight tinge of worry that he was pinned in his seat before it faded. It had been a great day. He had no idea why he had been so worried about going home. Jazz had promised to give Sam and Tucker their gifts the next day from him. The last thought he had before putting his head on his pillow was, "I wish it could be that good every day" and promptly fell asleep.

Unfortunately his night was plagued by nightmares. Despite his change in attitude and drive to make himself better, his resting mind continued to haunt him with horrifying memories. Some were confusing flashes of his time with the Light. He'd remembered most of his time there by now, not his tormentors' names, but he did recall the autopsy and torture. He could understand if not fully remember that his tormentors and Luthor had tried to treat his injuries, noticing his reduced healing ability, before putting him in his cell. Some nightmares were of his time in the Guys in White. The dreadful, inhumane punishment after he used his wail. A few of the more disturbing autopsies and experiments. Every time he'd wake up, shaking, clammy, crying and often with a sore throat from screaming. Depending on the nightmare, it could take him a few minutes to calm down enough to go back to sleep or an hour taking his mind off the dreams before trying again.

Christmas night was no exception. Black Canary had stopped staying the night in his room. There wasn't a second bed. But she was in the cave and could be called any minute if he needed her. Since changing his perspective of his situation, Danny tried to deal with it by himself. Sometimes he couldn't cope and needed someone with him but those incidents were decreasing. He was starting to learn to deal with his nightmares better. That was a start and hopefully by facing his issues, the nightmares would reduce so much he could get a full night's sleep again.

**So Danny's getting better but there's still a long way yet on his road to recovery.**

**But will this increase in progress keep going?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	105. Chapter 105

A week later, the team spent New Year's together and the next day things returned to normal. Danny was back with the team for training. He was officially back on duty also, Black Canary was confident that he could handle a normal fight again after all his progress. It seemed that he'd gotten over being touched. He had no issue with being hugged. Danielle even tackled him once in her excitement and he was completely fine. He had stopped holding back in spars and even returned to his old confidence. He had yet to face a proper opponent that would be trying to hurt him rather than just pin him down though. Danny had also conquered his fear of being undressed. He hadn't faced someone unclothed and hopefully he wouldn't need to any time soon. But he no longer felt uncomfortable getting into the shower or getting changed. He had yet to face his ghostly wail yet.

During that first week, Danny asked to speak with Garfield in private. The rest were in the kitchen relaxing after a training session.

"What's up Danny?" Garfield asked.

"I want to ask you for a favour," Danny told him. Garfield raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" Garfield inquired. Danny took a deep breath.

"Can you change into a gorilla for me?" Danny requested. Garfield gaped at the teen.

"Wha-what? Danny, aren't you scared of them?" Garfield stammered. Danny nodded.

"Which is why I'm asking. I want to face that fear. Face it and get over it. Or least get over it as much as I can," Danny explained with a determined expression. Garfield bit his lip with concern.

"Does Black Canary know about this? The last time you did something without telling anyone, you got hurt," Garfield reminded Danny.

Danny sighed and nodded.

"I haven't asked her what she thinks. But I've watched Tarzan a couple of times. I can talk about gorillas again. I'd prefer to face my first gorilla, since you know, in a safe location. I think I'm ready for this," Danny replied. Garfield sighed in defeat.

"Are you sure?" Garfield asked. Danny nodded.

"And if things go wrong, it'll be my fault. Not yours. Can you change into anything from the arctic? Just in case," Danny muttered self-consciously. Garfield nodded. It was Robin's suggestion to learn to change into animals that live in extreme conditions, cold being the first on the list since Danny could make a lot of ice without meaning to.

Garfield backed away a few feet and turned to Danny.

"Last chance. Are you one hundred percent sure?" Garfield pressed. Danny squared his shoulders and nodded stiffly. Garfield gave a curt nod before changing into a gorilla. Both teens held their breath for a few seconds, waiting for the reaction. Danny's heart thundered in his chest and he felt nervous and worried but he could hold his ground. However he didn't want to move his gaze away from the gorilla for fear of Garfield moving without him realising. Garfield didn't dare move for fear of frightening Danny further. Danny gulped worriedly and took a tentative step towards Garfield.

Gradually Danny ventured closer to Garfield and placed a very gentle, shaking hand on the gorilla's arm. Neither teen noticed Black Canary watching in awe from the doorway. The room was chilled but there was yet to be any frost. Danny heaved a massive breath and took a few shaky steps away from Garfield.

"Th-thanks Gar. Y-you can stop now," Danny mumbled. Garfield immediately returned to his more humanoid form and took a few steps towards Danny worriedly.

"Are you alright?" Garfield asked with concern. Danny nodded.

"Ye-yeah. Just… I think I need to sit down," Danny muttered. Black Canary walked into the room.

"Danny, that was amazing. Well done," she praised and wrapped a supportive, strong arm around his shoulders. The teen was shaking and a little pale. She guided him to the kitchen, Garfield trailing along behind them worriedly.

Everyone looked up and jumped to their feet in concern once they saw Danny.

"What happened?" Wally exclaimed. Garfield wandered over to them while Black Canary sat Danny down and got him some calming tea.

"Danny asked me to change into a gorilla for him," Garfield informed them.

"What!?" Zatanna yelped.

"You didn't did you?" M'gann muttered.

"He's terrified of them. How could you?" Artemis growled.

"He said he was sure. He… he didn't freak out," Garfield began uncertainly. Danny murmured his thanks and sipped at the tea he had been given. Black Canary went over to the others.

"Don't worry. Danny's fine. Just a little shaken but he's doing really well. I'm impressed with him. You did the right thing Garfield," Black Canary assured them. Garfield glanced at Danny.

"He doesn't look alright," the green boy remarked.

"He may have pushed himself a little too far. But he's fine. This is good. He's pushing himself so much that I can't keep up with his progress," Black Canary admitted.

"Huh?" Danielle questioned.

"He had… an epiphany before Christmas. Something changed with him and he's become… so focused on recovering his lost confidence. So much that he's stopped relying on me to bring him to those next steps. He's taking them alone," Black Canary told them.

"Isn't that a bad thing?" Raquel pointed out.

"Yes and no. It means I'm not there if he takes on too much. Like with Garfield. But it is good that he's pushing himself like this. He wants to get better. And sometimes the will to recover is more important than the treatment. Danny was getting depressed before he had this epiphany. He just couldn't see how far he came and he couldn't see an end to his treatment," Black Canary explained.

"We didn't even know," Kaldur whispered, glancing worriedly at Danny.

"It was early stages. You wouldn't have seen it. It was really the way he spoke about himself. He just saw himself as a victim, not a fighter and survivor. But that's getting into stuff that he should tell you, not me," Black Canary concluded before sitting down beside Danny.

"You feeling better now?" she asked him. He nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks," Danny answered.

"That was very brave of you. To face a gorilla like that. But next time, I want to be with you," Black Canary remarked. Danny blushed slightly.

"Sorry. I didn't think you'd let me go through with it if you knew," Danny confessed. Black Canary smiled and put an arm around him.

"That's fine Danny. I'm not angry. I'm impressed and happy to see you dealing with that fear. Well done," Black Canary assured him. Danny smiled and took another sip of tea.

A few minutes later, Danny had calmed down enough to go to his room with Black Canary to talk about how he felt about facing a gorilla. Danny told her how he had been terrified but he managed. He felt immensely proud of himself to have been able to do what he did. He touched a gorilla. Okay, yeah, it was Garfield. Not exactly a gorilla. But it was close enough for Danny. Next step was facing a real gorilla. Black Canary wanted Danny to see Garfield the gorilla once more before looking for a real gorilla. Danny agreed to that before requesting for Black Canary to come outside with him.

Confused and curious she agreed. Black Canary pulled on a warm jacket and the scarf and gloves Danny gave her at Christmas. They walked across the beach and into the forest. They found the clearing Danny fought Skulker in and later secretly trained in.

"Danny, what are we doing here?" Black Canary asked.

"I want to face my ghostly wail. It's gone too far and for too long," Danny explained. Black Canary blinked.

"Are you sure?" Black Canary inquired. Danny nodded and changed into his ghost form.

"Danny… maybe we should take things a little slower. Tackle one problem at a time," Black Canary suggested.

"Stay behind me and keep your ears covered Black Canary. Remember, my wail can take down buildings," Danny warned and took a deep breath. Black Canary watched him worriedly but complied. She wasn't going to be able to stop him if he really wanted to do this. At least he asked her to be present this time.

Time seemed to stop for Danny. He held his breath, his lungs filled to capacity. So full it hurt. The last time he used his wail, he had a breakdown. The time before that he was punished. That awful punishment he still had nightmares about months later. His lungs screamed for release, his vision was going black from lack of oxygen. It was now or never. He shut his eyes and yelled. Black Canary watched in awe as trees were uprooted. It was just as powerful as her own canary scream. Then Black Canary gasped as she realised what this could mean. Danny collapsed to his knees and reverted back to his human form, panting for breath and struggling to stay conscious. She ran to his side.

"Danny? Are you alright?" Black Canary asked worriedly.

"I-I think so. My wail always exhausts me," Danny panted.

"How… how do you feel?" Black Canary ventured. Danny closed his eyes and leant against her. She had just decided that the teen had fallen asleep when he smiled.

"Relieved. Like I needed a good scream and finally did it," Danny muttered tiredly. Black Canary smiled and helped him back to his room so that he could have a nap.

**Yay! Danny's has finally faced his ghostly wail!**

**What do you think will happen now?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	106. Chapter 106

Black Canary was astounded. Danny had come so far in the week after he used his wail. His nightmares had decreased drastically. He was so much more relaxed and happy. It was like Danny said, it was like his wail had been a massive release and allowed him to move on. He returned to training his teleportation and telekinesis. School was back and Danny, Garfield and Danielle were back in Red Tornado's home schooling lessons. He was doing well and getting good grades. During a spar with Conner, Danny got pinned to the ground for a good three minutes, quite firmly but he didn't panic at all. In fact he started joking with Conner and laughing. Playfully threatening the clone to let him up.

It was near the end of January before something happened. Batman was away on business and was unavailable. But the Justice League were called. The Joker of Gotham City had kidnapped a boy, Richard Grayson, with the Penguin. It was decided that the team would be sent in. For two reasons. The first being that Danny had yet to be on a mission with the team since the disaster at the docks. The second was slightly more selfish. Saving one boy didn't warrant calling another hero off a different, more pressing issue. Robin didn't turn up but Kaldur made the call that the rest of the team would go to Gotham without Robin.

"You alright Danny?" Kid Flash called across the Bioship.

"Yep," Danny answered happily.

"So, just a warning. Gotham's not… the prettiest place out there Danny. There's a ton of pollution and crime is everywhere. It's not like Amity Park. Or Happy Harbour," Artemis warned. Danny shrugged.

"I've been in a ghost prison. I doubt a human city is gonna be worse than that. Also seen the River of Revulsion too. That thing stinks," Danny remarked. Rocket frowned.

"River of Revulsion?" she repeated in confusion.

"River in the Ghost Zone," Danny added.

"And why were you in a ghost prison?" Zatanna inquired.

"I got arrested. It's not how it sounds alright. Walker's super strict and he figures driving the Spectre Speeder and having things from this world in the Ghost Zone is illegal," Danny explained with a dismissive shrug.

"So, what's the story with the Joker and Penguin?" Danny asked.

"Alright, Penguin is also known as Oswald Cobblepot. His umbrella has a whole bunch of weapons hidden in it. Master bird trainer too. He's more a… criminal businessman. Either Joker paid Penguin or convinced him some other way. Richard Grayson is Bruce Wayne's ward. He's an orphan that Wayne took in. Joker… long story short, he's insane. Has a room reserved in Arkham permanently. He just wants to make people laugh. But he's sadistic and cruel. He's got a thing for bombs and Joker gas so be careful," Aqualad explained.

"Insane?" Danny repeated with a frown.

"Yep. Completely. He's proud of it," Kid Flash confirmed. Danny raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further.

"It's weird being on a mission without Robin," Superboy muttered.

"Yeah. It is," Rocket agreed.

"It'll be harder to track down Richard without our hacker. But we'll manage. Richard was last seen at his school. Here, that's a picture Black Canary gave us for reference," Aqualad informed them and handed a printed picture to Superboy. Once Superboy had taken in the image, he handed it to the next person. Kid Flash hardly looked at the picture and Artemis gave a loud, sharp gasp of surprise. Danny looked at the image when Zatanna handed it to him. Dark blue eyes, lean build, dark slicked back hair.

Half an hour later, they landed behind an abandoned warehouse. Everyone was ready for the mission, in their uniforms and mentally linked together by Miss Martian's powers.

"_Right, we'll split up. M'gann, Artemis, Danny, Zatanna. You go to the school. Wally, Conner, Raquel and myself will go to Wayne Manor. Look for any clues on how Joker and Penguin caught Richard and where they might have taken him_," Aqualad delegated telepathically.

"_How do we know they have Richard_?" Danny wondered.

"_They aren't hiding the fact. They posted it online with a ransom to be paid. But like I said, Wayne's away on business_," Aqualad explained. Danny nodded.

Miss Martian adopted a human guise, slightly different to her Megan Morse persona with blonde hair. Danny turned himself invisible, not willing to risk his secret in order to investigate the school. Zatanna and Artemis led the way into the building. Zatanna went into the office and asked for access to the security tapes of the school grounds and Richard's locker. They learned that the boy was also part of the gymnastics club. Danny and Artemis went to watch the tapes while Zatanna and Miss Martian went to investigate the boy's locker and his classrooms. Artemis sank into the chair and Danny floated comfortably beside her.

After ten minutes they found Richard as he was leaving school. It was the camera on the corner of the grounds. Richard walked around the corner with his female friend. She grinned at him, said something and then waved and ran across the street. Richard smirked at her back and turned to continue down the street. A car stopped in front of him. Richard frowned at the vehicle in confusion and a short, paunchy man stepped out and held a hand out to the teen. Richard frowned distrustfully at him and didn't take the man's hand. They exchanged some conversation before a tall clown, grinning manically, jumped out and sprayed something into the teen's face. The clown then tossed the unconscious teen into the car. The short man and clown seemed to argue before they got back in and the car drove off.

"Well, that wasn't much help," Artemis grumbled.

"What are you talking about? That was great. Perfect shot of all their faces," Danny retorted.

"Huh?" Artemis muttered in confusion. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Are you forgetting that I used to be deaf? I can lip read. Play it back and I'll read their lips for you," Danny replied. Artemis blinked in surprise before smirking in embarrassment. She complied and played the video again from when Richard and his friend came into view.

Richard walked around the corner with his friend.

"Shut up Dick. I'll see ya tomorrow, don't forget!" she called over her shoulder as she ran across the street. Richard smirked at her back and turned to continue on his way. A car stopped in front of Richard and he frowned at the vehicle in confusion.

"That's Penguin," Artemis hissed as the short man stepped out onto the car and offered his hand.

"Oswald Cobblepot. Businessman. I have important matters to discuss with you. You are Richard Grayson, Bruce Wayne's ward, yes?" Penguin greeted the teen. Richard frowned at the hand but refused to take it.

"I know who you are. I've seen your face on the news. You're the Penguin. A criminal. I have nothing to say to you. And nor does Bruce," Richard retorted.

"Come come. I'm a busy man. You don't think that I'd take the time to approach you to threaten you or something just as ridiculous as that," Penguin chuckled.

"Look, I don't really care about your reasons. I'm not interested. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get home and do some homework," Richard concluded and moved to leave.

"Well, allow me to at least give you a lift. Wayne Manor right? My driver knows the way," Penguin suggested. Richard folded his arms.

"Do you really think I'd agree to that? I wasn't born yesterday you know. I get in that car and I'll go missing," Richard pointed out with a scowl.

Suddenly a clown jumped out of the car and sprayed Richard with a gas. Richard gagged before collapsing, unconscious. The clown shoved the teen into the car.

"That's Joker," Artemis whispered for Danny's benefit.

"What was that?! I almost had him!" Penguin snapped.

"It wasn't working. So I interjected," Joker replied.

"There's a camera right there! If he got in on his own we won't get caught!" Penguin pointed out.

"What? You don't want the credit? I never intended for this to be hidden," Joker retorted with a raised eyebrow.

"Joker, the more people that know the kid's missing and know we're responsible, the sooner Batman will find us and take us back to prison!" Penguin growled.

"Arkham mental asylum," Joker corrected. Penguin scowled at Joker.

"Listen Penguin. We can argue together until the kid comes to or we can get back to the theatre. Your choice. But we can continue this later," Joker added. Penguin grounded his teeth but eventually sighed and relented, getting into the car.

**Ah-Ha! A clue. **

**Will the mission go smoothly or will there be a massive disaster for the team and Danny?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	107. Chapter 107

"Theatre?" Artemis repeated. Danny nodded.

"That's what he said. But if I had to take a guess, it'll be an old one, abandoned or closed for the season," Danny remarked. Artemis nodded thoughtfully.

"So, let's get a computer and find them," Danny suggested. Artemis smirked.

"You're good with computers?" Artemis asked. Danny frowned.

"I'm average. I know a few tricks thanks to Tucker, but…" Danny replied.

"_Hey Kaldur, mind if I make a call? I want to ask Tucker to research theatres in Gotham. Found a video where Joker said they were operating out of a theatre_," Danny requested telepathically.

"_Where_?" Kid Flash retorted in confusion.

"_He lip read it. Remember he learned to when he was deaf_," Artemis interjected.

"_Alright. But don't tell your friend anything that he doesn't need to know_," Aqualad relented. Danny grinned and thanked the Atlantean.

Danny pulled out his new smart phone that Sam and Tucker got him for Christmas. It was top of the line, with the best anti-hacking technology that money could buy and the Justice League could provide. He typed in Tucker's number.

"Hello?" Tucker answered.

"Hey Tuck. It's me," Danny replied.

"Danny?! Geez, sorry, haven't put your new number in this phone. What's up?" Tucker exclaimed.

"I need a favour. I'm on a mission right now, but er Robin's not available. We could use a hacker. We're looking for the Joker and Penguin in a theatre in Gotham City. That's all I got. Think you could help?" Danny explained. Danny heard tapping on a keyboard in the background.

"A mission? You sure you're ready?" Tucker inquired.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm a lot better now. Well?" Danny assured him.

"Hang on dude. Give me a chance," Tucker chuckled.

"Got it. I'll text you the address. Let me know how things go," Tucker announced after a few moments filled with the sound of fingers clacking on a keyboard.

"Will do. Thanks Tuck. You're a life saver," Danny thanked his friend and hung up. A moment later his phone beeped as a text came through. The team gathered together at the Bioship before heading to the condemned theatre halfway across the city. They considered the dilapidated building. The windows were boarded up and there were plenty of signs warning people not to enter. It was the perfect hideout for a clown.

"_Get us inside Danny_," Aqualad ordered. Danny nodded and grabbed Aqualad and Superboy and flew them to the roof before phasing them inside onto a dark, dusty balcony filled with disused chairs. Danny phased back up to find that Miss Martian had flown Zatanna and Artemis to the roof, Kid Flash having run up the wall and Rocket being able to fly on her own. Danny then phased the rest down to where he left Superboy and Aqualad. Miss Martian was unable to density shift yet but her uncle had promised to teach her soon.

They crouched down into the shadows and scanned the stage below. Richard was tied to a wooden chair in the centre. Joker was sitting on a crate to one side tinkering with a Jack-in-the-box. Penguin was pacing impatiently, grumbling under his breath.

"Calm down Pengy. Everything's under control," Joker sang cheerily.

"Joker! This isn't a game! Tell me your plan!" Penguin snarled.

"All good things come to those that wait," Joker chuckled. Penguin gritted his teeth and resumed his pacing.

"What do you think Joker's plan is?" Superboy whispered.

"Joker's plans are rarely predictable. Our priority is Richard's safety," Aqualad muttered.

"Then we need to subdue Joker and Penguin," Artemis mumbled. Danny frowned at Joker.

"I have an idea to subdue Joker. You need to trust me though," Danny told them.

"What's your plan? And why won't it work on Penguin too?" Zatanna asked.

"Because I'm gonna get Joker away from Richard. Joker's the danger. Not Penguin. Penguin doesn't even know the full plan. I'm willing to bet that without Joker, Penguin will go down easy," Danny answered.

"How?" Kid Flash demanded.

"Birds of a feather flock together," Danny told them grimly.

"What does that mean?" Rocket growled in confusion. Danny shook his head.

"Never mind. I just know that I can get that clown away from here. Trust me. I can do this," Danny concluded.

"Alright. Get Joker away from Richard. We'll come help you as soon as possible. Keep in telepathic contact," Aqualad decided. Danny nodded and turned himself invisible. He floated off the balcony and flew towards the stage. He bit his lip in thought. He had a plan, he just needed to figure out how to carry it out. Richard was too close to Penguin and far too exposed for any of the team to save him. Of course Danny could turn the kid invisible and intangible, but they'd be spotted and he wouldn't have a chance to warn Richard what was happening. The teen would probably panic and mess up the rescue mission.

"Relax Pengy. I thought you'd like the theatre," Joker remarked with a smirk, looking up from his device.

"Honestly, I prefer opera," Penguin admitted. Danny smirked.

"Every opera needs a Phantom, right?" Danny called. Penguin, Richard and Joker looked around in alarm. Danny turned himself visible a safe distance from the three others on the stage. They all stared at Danny. He smirked.

"Anyone would think you guys never saw a ghost before," Danny joked. Joker blinked before grinning. He jumped to his feet and walked over to the ghost.

"_What are you doing_?!" Artemis hissed. Joker circled Danny, intrigued.

"Who are you?" Joker asked.

"Danny Phantom. I'm a big fan of yours. That's why I came to Gotham," Danny lied. Joker's face lit up.

"You are. How sweet?" Joker gushed.

Danny shrugged and walked around the stage, showing faint interest in Penguin and Richard.

"You may have heard of me. Menace of Amity Park," Danny added dismissively. Joker raised an eyebrow.

"Menace?" Joker repeated with interest.

"To put it lightly. My biggest feat was when I stole all the town's Christmas presents at once. Would have gotten away with it too, if the other ghosts didn't get on my case about some stupid Christmas Truce law thing," Danny lied. Joker hummed with mild interest.

"Joker, don't you think this is a little suspicious?!" Penguin hissed.

"What? That I have a fan? Come to think of it… yes," Joker retorted. He rounded on Danny.

"What are you doing here?" Joker demanded.

"_Danny, whatever you're doing, it's not working_!" Superboy exclaimed.

"I wanted to team up. Not with shorty over there. He doesn't get us. Not like we do," Danny lied.

"Team up?" Joker inquired. Danny nodded and smirked as cruelly as he could.

"That's right. Joker, I know what it's like. The voices just don't shut up!" Danny continued, tugging at his white hair in mock frustration. Joker's expression softened oddly.

"You're crazy too?" Joker whispered. Danny nodded.

"How?" Joker pressed.

"Got taken by the government. Experimented on. Finally busted out of there when they pushed me to the edge. Hours and hours of pain and torture. Do you know what that's like?" Danny told them, pouring as much anguish as he could into his words. It wasn't hard.

"You can't be listening to this," Penguin scoffed.

"He doesn't understand Joker. He's not like us. Has he ever seen things no one else can? Has he ever been called insane? No. Because he's different from us. I've been watching you guys for a little while now. You don't even have the same goals," Danny pointed out.

"What do you see then?" Joker asked, almost as though he were in a trance.

"Shadows. Of the people that hurt me. Flashes of my death," Danny replied.

"Death?" Joker pressed.

"Lab accident. My parents were scientists. They didn't know I was in the lab. Next thing I know, there was a massive jolt of agony through my body and a bright light. Then, I was dead. A ghost. I don't remember much of my life before that. Hardly even remember my parents," Danny answered, bending the truth slightly. Joker gasped.

"I was involved in a lab accident too!" Joker informed him. Danny blinked at Joker. The man tugged his shaggy green hair.

"This isn't make up. And I wasn't born like this. The chemicals messed with my head. The voices. They give me ideas. They provide the inspiration for everything," Joker added, theatrically sweeping his hands around himself, gesturing to the theatre.

"Well… I wanted to use that wonderfully crazy and unpredictable mind to join my power to take over the Ghost Zone," Danny lied.

"Ghost Zone?" Joker repeated. Danny nodded and smirked.

"It's an entire dimension full of ghosts. Ghosts like me," Danny resumed.

"Why do you need my help to take over a ghost world?" Joker inquired suspiciously.

"Because, in the Ghost Zone. The humans are the ghosts. Just imagine it Joker. A world where you can pass through walls. A world where almost nothing can hurt you. The ghosts wouldn't stand a chance. And with my knowledge and power, it'll be a cinch," Danny explained, moving his hands in bold movements to emphasise his point.

"You talk about power. But all I've seen is invisibility," Joker commented. Danny raised an eyebrow and lifted a hand, charging it with green energy before firing the shot at a chair nearby and destroyed it.

"That's a taster. I can do a lot more," Danny informed them. Joker gaped for a moment before grinning in excitement.

"Imagine what you could do with an entire world of ghosts. This world wouldn't stand a chance," Danny concluded with a cruel grin.

Joker grinned broadly.

"You've got yourself a deal Phantom. Just after I finish here," Joker decided.

"That's the thing. There's a time limit. There's a portal into the Ghost Zone opening in the park, but it's not gonna be there for longer than ten minutes. I don't know where or even when the next portal will be. We have to go now," Danny interjected. Joker frowned and turned to the teen again.

"What?" Joker retorted.

"Natural portals are rare and far in between. Tracking them down is even harder. Artificial portals do exist but are highly guarded. It's best we go now and get this natural portal," Danny explained.

"_Danny, is there a portal opening_?" Miss Martian asked telepathically.

"_No_," Danny told them, keeping his gaze locked on Joker.

Joker glanced between Danny and Penguin beside Richard.

"But I'm in the middle of a crime," Joker pouted in a whining tone.

"I'm sorry Joker. But this is once in a lifetime. Not all portals are easy to reach. I know of some that are deep underwater or high in mid-air. Easy for a ghost to reach but not a human. No offence. But you lot need to breathe," Danny replied with a helpless shrug. Joker sighed.

"Penguin, you take over," Joker relented with a defeated sigh.

"You won't regret this Joker," Danny assured the criminal and motioned for the man to lead the way out. Joker grumbled in annoyance and led the way to a back door that the criminals had pried open beforehand, both ignoring Penguin's spluttering protests.

**Yep. That happened.**

**But will it work for long enough?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	108. Chapter 108

Aqualad blinked.

"I can't believe that worked," the Atlantean whispered.

"Me neither. Did Danny just make a connection with the Joker over being insane?" Kid Flash pointed out incredulously.

"Back to the problem at hand. Penguin's guarding Richard now," Artemis reminded them.

"Right. M'gann and Raquel, take him from above and be careful. Penguin's known to work with birds. Conner and myself will take the left. Zatanna and Artemis, take the right. Wally, get Richard out of here. Any questions?" Aqualad delegated.

"Yeah. When I get Richard free, where do I take him?" Kid Flash asked.

"Bring him up here. It's safely out of the way," Aqualad answered.

"But if things get bad, meet us just outside," Artemis suggested in addition. Aqualad nodded in agreement.

The team set the plan into motion. Kid Flash stayed on the balcony, watching for an opening to run to Richard's side. Miss Martian and Rocket floated up into the air and hid among the light scaffolding and dusty rafters, waiting for the signal to attack Penguin. Superboy, Aqualad, Zatanna and Artemis jumped down to the ground. Zatanna and Artemis ran silently through the shadows towards the right of the stage, and Aqualad and Superboy did the same for the left. All at once they surged forwards to the stage. Artemis kept to the shadows and fired smoke arrows around Penguin and the bound Richard. Kid Flash zoomed forwards to the teen and untied him, putting a finger to his lips and winking at him before running him to the balcony. Aqualad took out his water bearers and conjured together two glowing blue swords. Superboy charged forward with Aqualad and Zatanna. Penguin growled and summoned a flock to crows to his aid. Miss Martian and Rocket surged forward to intercept the birds.

Kid Flash winced in sympathy as Superboy was thrown into the back of the stage by a group of birds working together, causing it to crash around him.

"What was all that stuff with Danny?" Richard hissed to Kid Flash.

"Dick chill. Danny was luring Joker away to protect you when we made our move," Kid Flash replied.

"And the stuff about a portal opening in the park?" Richard pressed with a raised eyebrow.

"Complete lie. Relax, we got this. But I'm so telling Bats that you got kidnapped by the Penguin and Joker," Kid Flash retorted with a smirk. Richard growled in annoyance at the speedster.

"Whatever. It was either get caught or blow my secret," Richard muttered.

"Geez, do you really need to protect your secret identity that much? Dick Grayson is a gymnast. You could have run away before Joker jumped out and got you. Are ya gonna tell the others?" Kid Flash asked. Richard pursed his lips and turned to watch the fight.

"Warn the others that Penguin hasn't used his umbrella yet. That either means that it's his getaway or it's a big weapon that he needs space to activate," Richard warned. Kid Flash bit his lip.

"Er, how am I gonna tell them that? Penguin's Batman and Robin's bad guy. Not Flash's. And you know I don't read those files," Kid Flash pointed out with a frown. Richard sighed.

"Warn them and we'll deal with it afterwards," Richard replied. Kid Flash shrugged.

"_Guys, anyone else wondering why Penguin's not using his umbrella? Isn't it suspicious? What if he's got something big up his sleeve_?" Kid Flash remarked over the mind link.

"_Huh. Since when are you that observant_?" Artemis commented.

"_But he is right. Be ready_," Aqualad remarked.

No sooner had the warning been issued, did Penguin back into the centre of the stage and whip out his umbrella holding it high.

"Not another step! Or this thing goes nuclear," Penguin threatened. Everyone stopped attacking Penguin. Miss Martian and Rocket had almost beaten the flock of deadly crows. Richard narrowed his eyes at the umbrella and then drifted his gaze to the roof. He gasped.

"It's a trick. It's a getaway not a weapon this time. Look above Penguin. There's a hole in the roof, and he's pointing the umbrella right at it," Richard realised. Kid Flash followed Richard's gaze and gasped as well.

"_Guys, he's bluffing! Look above him_," Kid Flash exclaimed telepathically. As one, Superboy, Zatanna and Aqualad ran forwards to catch the criminal but the umbrella popped open and began to spin, lifting the heavy man into the air and out the roof. Rocket and Miss Martian tried to follow but a second wave of crows stopped them.

Everyone glared at the hole in the roof before turning to Richard and Kid Flash on the balcony.

"Kid, bring Richard down," Aqualad called. Kid Flash nodded.

"Just a sec," Kid Flash replied and grabbed Richard by the arm before rushing down to the ground with him.

"There ya go," Kid Flash commented with a smirk, patting the teen on the shoulder. Richard frowned in annoyance.

"Richard, are you harmed?" Aqualad asked with concern.

"No. I'm fine," Richard answered, glancing at the others.

"Good. We'll take you back to Wayne Manor now," Miss Martian offered. Richard glanced at Kid Flash.

"What about Joker? And Phantom?" Richard inquired.

"We'll be heading to the park as soon as we've made sure you're safe," Superboy explained.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just bring me with you," Richard replied.

"Richard, that's not a very good idea," Zatanna interjected.

"Guys, the longer we spend arguing, the longer Danny has to stall Joker," Kid Flash reminded them. The others shared concerned looks.

"Alright, we'll bring you along. But make sure you stay hidden and out of the way," Aqualad relented. Richard nodded and the teens ran to the back of the theatre where a door had been ripped open. They clambered onto the Bioship and Miss Martian steered the vessel towards Gotham park.

Danny floated lazily near Joker. Joker was getting impatient. He had his arms folded and his foot was tapping.

"How much longer?!" Joker demanded annoyed.

"Can't rush punching holes through dimensions Joker. It'll open. Just give it time," Danny soothed. He wasn't sure how much longer Joker would wait with him.

"Tell me about your shadows," Joker requested. Danny glanced at the clown.

"Well, they're not really any particular gender. They're vaguely humanoid. And they have the voice of the main scientist that experimented on me. Mostly they taunt me. Make me hate myself. Tell me how weak I am and so on. They're not really that helpful. Not like yours. But I'm getting better at ignoring them. But they have their moments. Just last month I asked one of them a question and they answered me. That question led to me being here," Danny explained. Joker nodded.

"Don't get upset, but I'm starting to think this was a prank or a lie or something. But you really do see things," Joker remarked. Danny glanced at the criminal.

"You don't believe me?" Danny challenged with a slight offended edge to his voice. Joker shrugged.

"I don't make friends easy," Joker remarked. Danny hummed.

"Would it help if I try to prepare you for what's in the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked. Joker grinned.

"It would," Joker confirmed.

"Alright. Well, it's really green. And there are floating purple doors and islands. Ghosts don't usually look like me. Some are really big and monstrous. Some are like skeletons. I swear I once met one that was a bedsheet. Most ghosts can use a ghost ray. That's what I showed you earlier. Getting around without flight is near impossible. But don't worry I know where we can steal a map," Danny told the criminal, careful to be as vague as possible in case the clown ever made it to the Ghost Zone after all. Joker nodded, intrigued.

"_Danny, we're above the park but having trouble locating you_," Aqualad informed the halfa telepathically.

"I should probably show you a few of my powers," Danny offered.

"Please," Joker agreed eagerly. Danny smiled.

"Alright. Invisibility. Intangibility. Flying. Ghost ray," Danny listed and demonstrated each of his powers, demonstrating his ghost ray by firing three quick shots into the air.

"Er, ice powers too," Danny added and made a massive icy symbol that would only be seen from above. His insignia. Joker clapped.

"_We've got you. Hold on another minute_," Artemis informed him. Danny smirked at Joker.

"Do you know how strong my ice is?" Danny asked. Joker shook his head.

"I'll show you. Don't worry, I'll let you out in a second," Danny offered and formed an icy cage around Joker before the clown could object. Joker gasped and fought to break the ice and escape before blinking in shock.

"It's like steel. That's impressive. Can you let me out now?" Joker requested.

"Give it another try," Danny prompted. Joker narrowed his eyes but tried to break the icy cage bars again.

"Well, that was easy," Rocket remarked. Danny smirked and turned to the team.

"Wha? Phantom! Let me out!" Joker demanded.

"Sorry Joker. I might hallucinate but I'm not insane. There's no portal," Danny revealed. Joker gaped in horror before scowling furiously and began to shout at Danny being a traitor.

**Yep, Joker fell for it hook, link and sinker. **

**But is this the end of the mission?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	109. Chapter 109

The team and Richard waited for the police to take Joker away.

"What happened to Penguin?" Danny asked.

"He got away," Zatanna admitted. Danny shrugged.

"At least we got one of them. Shouldn't we get Richard back home?" Danny remarked.

"I guess so. But I want to ask Kid Flash how he knew Penguin was bluffing and that he was planning something," Artemis commented. Danny turned to Kid Flash, along with the rest of the team.

"Uh," Kid Flash mumbled and glanced nervously at Joker.

"Can I go home now? I have stuff to do," Richard interjected.

"Yeah, his family will be worried," Kid Flash instantly agreed. A few minutes later the police arrived and Aqualad spoke to Commissioner Gordon, Danny defrosting his ice cage so that officers could arrest the insane clown. Then they all bundled into the Bioship.

"It wasn't Kid Flash that spotted Penguin's plan. It was me," Richard confessed.

"That makes way more sense," Artemis chuckled.

"But that required knowledge of Penguin's fighting style. Something a civilian wouldn't have," Kaldur pointed out. Richard sighed deeply.

"I'm not a civilian. Didn't anyone notice that Robin didn't turn up the day Richard Grayson went missing?" Richard remarked. Everyone glanced at each other in surprise. Richard rolled his eyes.

"I thought it would be obvious. I told Wally about Penguin," Richard added.

"Wally?" Raquel repeated in surprise.

"If you're Robin, then you're breaking Batman's first rule. Right after always carry your utility belt," Conner commented. Richard nodded.

"I figured, you're my team. I trust you guys with my life. So… I should trust you with my real identity too," Richard admitted.

"I knew his secret identity before the team was set up. I was sworn to secrecy by Batman," Wally informed the team with a shrug.

"Huh, guess we can just head back to the cave then," Zatanna remarked.

"Hang on. Richard hasn't actually proven he's Robin. Not without a doubt. He knows Wally. But I've met shapeshifters before," Danny interjected.

"Danny Fenton, a.k.a Danny Phantom. Taken by the Guys in White last June. Kidnapped by Nocturne working for the Light. Do I have to go on?" Richard retorted with a smirk. Danny blinked before scowling.

"Show-off," he grumbled. Richard chuckled.

"Richard's too formal," Raquel commented with a frown.

"I prefer Dick," Richard retorted.

"Well, Dick. We'll be having words," Artemis snarled. Richard smirked nervously.

"I think I'll be laughing," Richard muttered.

It didn't take long before they returned to the cave. Richard slipped into the changing rooms and got his spare set of clothes and sunglasses.

"That's better," Robin sighed as he walked back to join the others in the kitchen.

"Robin," Artemis called and tugged him into an empty corridor.

"Want to explain that stupid picture months ago when I started at our school?" Artemis hissed.

"Oh that. Well, I knew who you were so I thought it would be fun to take a picture of us together. It was just a joke. I also kind of wondered if you'd figure out if it was me. If you want, I can send you a copy," Robin explained. Artemis rolled her eyes.

Artemis and Robin then joined the others in the kitchen. Kaldur and Danny were explaining what had happened during the mission. Black Canary gasped when Danny explained how he used his recovery from his own stint of insanity to lure Joker away from Richard and Penguin.

"Are you okay?" Black Canary asked.

"I'm fine Black Canary. It worked and you know that I'm getting over it. It wasn't as big a deal as it sounds," Danny assured her. Black Canary chewed her tongue before nodding. Danny truly did seem fine with how the mission went. If he wasn't bothered by it, then she wasn't going to press further.

Once the de-briefing report was over, the team sat down together.

"So, if you're Robin, who's Batman?" Artemis wondered.

"I can't just tell you guys that!" Robin exclaimed.

"Well let's think about this logically. Richard's, or rather Dick's, guardian is Bruce Wayne. So he must know about Dick being Robin," Zatanna commented. Danny hummed.

"Not necessarily, my parents didn't know about me," Danny reminded them.

"Oh, Bruce knows about Dick being Robin," Wally interjected with a mischievous grin.

"Wally!" Robin scolded.

"What? They're gonna figure it out and there's no rule that I can't give them hints," Wally retorted. Robin scowled at the speedster. The others shared glances.

"You don't reckon that Bruce Wayne is Batman do you?" Raquel guessed.

"No way! Wayne is Gotham City's playboy philanthropist. Fun loving. Nothing like strict, kill-joy Batman," Artemis pointed out.

"That's no reason to discount him. I have two personalities. Weak, frightened Fenton as opposed to hero Phantom. At least before… before all this," Danny interjected. Everyone glanced at him before shrugging.

"So is he or isn't he?" Artemis grumbled. Danny shrugged.

"I have no idea. But I'm just saying just because Robin is his ward doesn't mean Bruce Wayne knows and just because their personalities are different doesn't mean he isn't Batman," Danny reasoned. Conner glanced at Robin.

"If we're right will you tell us?" Conner requested. Robin groaned.

"I will," Wally agreed with a grin.

"Is it Bruce Wayne?" Conner asked. Wally laughed.

"Your evidence? Because if you're right and Batman finds out I basically told you, he'll kill me," Wally muttered.

"Well he's rich," Raquel pointed out.

"Wayne Enterprises is a forerunner in technology and Batman and Robin use a lot of tech," Danny recalled, remembering his conversation with Luthor in the Guys in white base a few months ago.

"Bruce Wayne is away and Batman's unavailable right now," Zatanna added.

"Dick is Bruce Wayne's ward. Personally, with the amount Robin's out working at weird times, Bruce would have to at least know about Dick being Robin," Artemis reasoned.

"What do you reckon Dick? That enough deductions for Bats?" Wally asked with a grin. Robin sighed.

"He's gonna be so angry I blew his secret too," Robin groaned.

"You're all spot on," Wally confirmed.

"With that out of the way. I'd like to point out that we have completed out first mission successfully with Danny on the team," Kaldur announced with a warm smile at the halfa. Danny smirked shyly.

"Yeah, that idea to separate Joker and Penguin was great. And you did great tricking that clown too," M'gann complimented.

"I was worried and confused and I know you," Robin interjected with a small chuckle. Danny rubbed his neck.

"Thanks. It was the only plan I could think of," Danny muttered self-consciously.

"Well it worked perfectly," Zatanna remarked.

"It felt nice to win for a change. Thanks for trusting me though," Danny commented. The team smiled at him.

Over the course of the next week, Robin explained a little more about who he was once the costume was off. Telling the team a little more about his past, including how his parents and he used to live and perform as acrobats in a circus. His parents were killed and Batman helped him to get justice. Then the caped crusader adopted the boy and made him his sidekick. In return, the team promised to keep both Robin's and Batman's identities to themselves. Even Garfield and Danielle weren't told. A secret identity was not something to reveal without the person's consent.

With no more secret identities between the team members, they had become closer than ever. A few days after the rescue mission and reveal, the team were sent to Superman's island of solitude for an ice based team building exercise. They had to survive the night without any proper gear. However, with Danny's ice powers, making an igloo for shelter was simple. Despite the freezing temperatures and lack of technology, the team had an enjoyable night. Robin made a fire using a lens from his utility belt and Danny's ghost ray. They gathered around the fire together, traded stories and snacked on rations. Danny especially enjoyed the evening despite it being an overnight outing, although he accidently woke the team when he had a nightmare.

The team had been concerned but Danny just waved them off and went for a flight outside the igloo to calm down, implementing plenty of techniques Jazz told him about. Also, having stopped depending on Black Canary to reassure him after a nightmare, he was capable of calming himself down enough to get some more sleep. Thankfully he only woke the team twice throughout the night despite waking up four or five times. He didn't always scream after a nightmare of his gruesome memories, sometimes he was just crying or sweating, panting for breath and his heart beating rapidly in his chest. They returned to the cave the next day having passed the mission. Not that there had been any doubt that they would.

**Yep, finally a mission completed without any disasters. And finally a win for Danny!**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**I got a question a few chapters ago asking when Black Canary learnt of Danny's evil future self. Well the first mention to her was during a therapy session after Danny was rescued from the Light but she learnt the full story after Danny told her during the drive back to the cave after Danny spent a day in Happy Harbour with Sam, Tucker and Jazz.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	110. Chapter 110

Three weeks later, Danny had faced Garfield the gorilla a few times, his fear was slowly reducing. He no longer shook with fear after facing him. He had gotten a lot better at his teleporting also. Now not only was he able to teleport on command but he was also able to teleport with an amount of aim. He might not be able to land directly on his imaginary mark, but he could get close to it almost every time now. His telekinesis was improving also.

"Pair off! Try to pin your opponent down!" Black Canary shouted to her students. Danny and Conner glanced at each other before shrugging and pairing up. It was just a normal training session. Danny and Conner stepped a few feet away from Robin and Artemis and faced each other, slipping into ready positions. Danny lunged to Conner's right before rolling behind the clone and kicking the back of his knee, forcing Conner to his knees. Conner growled in annoyance and rolled onto his back, kicking Danny in the stomach. Danny reeled back, clutching his mid-drift and gagged. Conner jumped to his feet and waited for Danny to catch his breath.

Danny scowled at Conner and slipped into a ready position. Conner began to advance on Danny. Suddenly the ghostbuster's theme tune started to play.

"Whose phone is that!?" Black Canary yelled with annoyance. Danny blinked before shoving his hand into his pocket and found his phone. He pulled it out and ducked under Conner's punch. He looked at the screen and raised an eyebrow. He answered the phone call.

"Tuck? Really bad time," Danny remarked.

"Danny! Get off that phone!" Black Canary scolded. Conner blinked at the halfa who dodged another punch.

"Sorry Danny. But we've got a situation here," Tucker retorted. Danny frowned in concern, turning himself intangible and ignored Conner who fell through the halfa.

"Danny! No powers!" Black Canary growled as she stormed over to them.

"What kind of situation Tucker?" Danny asked.

"Huge ghost. I mean massive! Your dad… he got hurt trying to stop it," Tucker explained.

"Daniel Fenton! You are in so much trouble!" Black Canary snarled, not one of her students had ever ignored her before.

"Is he alright?!" Danny exclaimed. Everyone listening stopped their spars and turned to Danny.

"Broken leg. He'll live. But he's not gonna be hunting ghosts any time soon. Dude, I know that we said we'd take care of everything here. But… we need Phantom," Tucker replied. Danny bit his lip and glanced at Black Canary.

"Give me as long as you can. I'll try and get there as soon as I can," Danny concluded and ended the call.

"Amity Park's in big trouble. I gotta go back," Danny told them all.

Black Canary blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"My family, Sam and Tucker can't handle a ghost. My dad's hurt. They need me," Danny explained, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"We're with you Danny," Kaldur called from across the room, the rest of the team nodded in agreement, abandoning their spars.

"Are you sure you're ready for that Danny?" Black Canary asked.

"Doesn't matter. They need me Black Canary. They wouldn't have called if they could handle things. I have to go back," Danny retorted with a shake of his head. Black Canary sighed in defeat. She could see Danny's determination and that she wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"I'll tell Batman. Go on," Black Canary relented and jerked her head towards the door. Danny nodded and ran out of the room, followed close behind by the others. Danielle and Garfield shared a quick glance before she grabbed his hand and they disappeared.

"What do you know about the ghost?!" Robin shouted after Danny.

"It's big. Sounds powerful too. No name for it yet, so I've never faced it before," Danny retorted. M'gann and Danny ran straight to the hanger and jumped into the Bioship, changing their appearances into their hero guises. Conner, Wally, Zatanna and Robin were next, the others grabbed their uniforms and clambered into the back of the Bioship to get changed. They were in the air, speeding to Amity Park within ten minutes.

Within an hour, having flown at top speed the entire time, Amity Park's cityscape came into view. Danny gasped. Floating above the town was a seven foot woman with a long flowing, black and white dress. The ghost had long flowing black hair and porcelain skin. Her eye pupils were black, her lips were painted black also. Danny scowled at the woman.

"That's the ghost who hurt my dad," Danny growled, his green eyes flashing angrily.

"Danny, calm down," Robin muttered.

"Where are we going? I have to land somewhere," Miss Martian asked.

"Fenton Works. We'll need to get some ghost weapons," Aqualad answered with conviction. Miss Martian gave a curt nod and landed the Bioship behind the unique house, entering camouflage mode before they left the Bioship and ran into the house, the back door having been left unlocked.

Danny led the way down to the lab and unlocked the weapons vault for the team to grab weapons from. Danny grabbed a handful of Fenton phones, distributing them between the teens and putting one in his own ear.

"Clueless one here. Goth one? You there?" Danny asked.

"Ghost getter number two here. Ghost leader?" Jazz retorted.

"Ghost leader? What the? Jazz!? Where are you?" Danny exclaimed in surprise.

"The park. Dad's in the Assault vehicle here. Where are you?" Jazz answered.

"The lab. I've got the team with me, they're stocking up on weapons. Is Sam there? Tucker?" Danny replied.

"Yes, ghost getter number one and three are here," Jazz confirmed.

"Ghost getter? Jazz where did you get those ridiculous codenames?" Danny sighed exasperatedly.

"I made them up," Jazz told him defensively. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Can we borrow your car?" Danny requested.

"You don't know how to drive!" Jazz growled.

"Any of you have a license?" Danny called to the others.

"I do," Artemis informed him.

"Artemis has one," Danny repeated for Jazz.

"Fine. My keys are beside the toaster. But only Artemis!" Jazz relented.

"Thanks Jazz. Be there in a few," Danny concluded.

"Come on, we're gonna borrow Jazz's car to get to the park. And um Artemis, please don't scratch or crash it cause Jazz will kill me if you do," Danny told them, leading the way up to the kitchen, grabbing and tossing Jazz's keys to the archer as he went.

"I'll fly ahead. Raquel, Wally and M'gann, you guys will probably be able to keep up," Danny added over his shoulder, jumping into the air as the others rushed to the blue convertible.

"M'gann, set up a telepathic link. We can use that between the team," Aqualad shouted as he got into the car. Miss Martian nodded and her eyes pulsed green as she set up the mental link.

"_Link established_," Miss Martian announced.

"_Make sure to keep up_," Danny told them before zooming off, following the roads, towards the park. He lifted his gaze from the road to glare at the ghost floating above the park. She was grinning, her aura pulsing excitedly with power. As they got closer, Danny's ghost sense triggered.

Danny dutifully led the way towards the park, pausing as the convertible careened through a wide gate and drove over the grass, shredding the manicured lawn and kicking up dirt, skidding to a stop near an armoured RV with the Fenton logo on the side. A green "F" encased in green flames. Danny landed beside the vehicle.

"Dad! Jazz!" he shouted and jumped on board. Jack Fenton was sitting with his right leg propped up on another seat. His day-glow orange jumpsuit was covered in burns, grass stains and, alarmingly, blood.

"Dad! Are you alright?" Danny exclaimed, rushing to Jack's side.

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Jack replied.

"Tucker called. Told me you got hurt and were having trouble with a ghost," Danny explained, the team hovered at the door.

"Son, if you're not ready-" Jack began, putting a hand on the halfa's shoulder.

"Dad, I'm fine. What happened?" Danny insisted. Jack sighed and hung his head in defeat.

"I… I thought I was in danger. The Wisconsin ghost. He attacked me and then your mother," Jack muttered.

"What? He attacked mom?" Danny repeated incredulously. Jack nodded.

"Did he say anything?" Danny questioned urgently. Jack shook his head.

"Not that I can remember. But I couldn't stop him. He blasted me. A tree collapsed and I wasn't fast enough," Jack resumed.

"Where's mom?" Danny pressed.

"Out there. Fighting that spook," Jack answered.

Danny flipped a switch and reverted to human.

"Stay here, the ghost shield will protect you. I'll handle that ghost," Danny ordered. Jack protested but Danny jumped out of the vehicle and changed back to Phantom.

"Look out for Plasmius," Danny growled, his neon green eyes shining with fury. The team glanced at Danny.

"Danny, we'll follow your lead on this, but… make sure to stay calm," Aqualad informed the teen. Danny nodded.

"I'll do my best," he muttered as he led the way towards the female ghost floating above.

**Hmm… Plasmius and this mystery ghost? Any guesses on what is going on? Who is this new ghost? Will Danny be able to stop her?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	111. Chapter 111

Sam, Tucker and Jazz crouched behind the destroyed fountain. Maddie had taken cover behind the toilets on the other side of the ghost.

"Danny said he's on his way," Jazz informed the two younger teens.

"You shouldn't have called him Tucker. We promised to handle the ghosts until he was ready," Sam growled. Tucker glanced at the Goth.

"Right, and _this_ is handling? Mr Fenton is injured. Like really injured. I didn't want to Sam, but we need him. I had to call him. Besides. It is his dad that got hurt," Tucker retorted.

"I hope dad's okay. One of us should have stayed with him," Jazz whispered.

"I'm sure your father's fine Jazz. We need everyone we can get," Sam reassured Jazz.

Danny ran towards the ghost, spotting Team Phantom taking cover as he went. He changed direction and joined them.

"What's going on?" Danny asked them.

"Danny! Are you sure you're ready?" Sam inquired.

"Look, can we just focus on that ghost right now? I'm here with the team. It doesn't matter if I'm ready or not. What can she do?" Danny retorted.

"She makes you see things," Tucker answered.

"No. It's more than that. She makes you see things and those things can hurt you. But only you. Dad was convinced he saw Plasmius attacking him and mom and then he went flying into a tree. We're not entirely sure what's going on," Jazz corrected.

"Wait, so Vlad isn't here?" Danny questioned.

"No. You saw your dad then," Sam confirmed.

"Yeah, by the way, your car's parked beside the Assault vehicle," Danny told them, glancing at his sister. She nodded in thanks.

Danny then stood up and stepped around the rubble that used to be a fountain. He scowled at the ghost above.

"_Let me try and talk to the ghost. Some ghosts love to explain what they're capable of. But any illusions you see can hurt you, so be careful. Vlad isn't here by the way_," Danny informed the team who had taken cover behind numerous trees and bushes. Danny jumped up into the air and flew towards the ghost.

"Hey! Can I have a word?!" Danny shouted. The grinning black and white ghost glanced at Danny. She gave him a slight nod and turned to him.

"Thanks, who are you?" Danny asked as he came to her level.

"My name is Recuerda. You are Danny Phantom. Halfa. Protector of this town and the one who defeated Pariah Dark, king of ghosts," the ghost replied, her voice was powerful and yet gentle and calm.

"I am. Why are you here?" Danny retorted. Recuerda hummed before scanning the town.

"Humans are far more interesting than ghosts. Don't you think?" she remarked. Danny raised a confused eyebrow.

"Er, I don't know. Never thought about it," Danny honestly answered.

"Ghosts are… so unchanging. Too conservative. But humans. Humans love to change. They love to _live_," Recuerda resumed.

"Look, I don't want to seem rude, but I did ask. Why are you here?" Danny pressed. Recuerda turned to him.

"I am a ghost. But I yearn to feel what it is like to live again. And life is packaged in human minds. I am the ghost of memory, halfa," the ghost explained, her dark eyes glinting with hunger.

Danny licked his lips. He didn't like the look that ghost was giving him.

"You have seen much. Such anguish. Fear. And yet, there's happiness too. I would like to understand your past better," Recuerda informed him. Danny chuckled nervously.

"Trust me, you don't want a better look at what's in here. I don't even like it up there," Danny joked and lightly knocked on the side of his head. Recuerda grinned.

"Then I could take those memories," she offered gleefully.

"No. That's not what I meant," Danny declined. He may not like the memories but he knew they were important. He needed to know what he had taught his enemies about himself. He also needed to know that suffering to understand what it could mean for others.

"You hurt my dad," Danny blurted out, looking for another topic. Recuerda shook her head, her long black hair rippling in the wind.

"His memory did that. I encourage memories to take form and those memories can then act depending on that person's recollection. I only formed those memories to protect myself. Those hunters attacked me," Recuerda retorted. Danny frowned. In some twisted sense, he could understand what Recuerda meant. Ghosts weren't welcome in Amity Park. His dad definitely followed a "threaten and shoot first, question later" mentality. However, if the ghost lashed out, then his family and friends would fight tooth and nail to subdue the ghost. Danny did tend to try and take into account a ghost's reason for being in the human world before initiating a fight. Especially later on in his ghost fighting career.

"Okay, you came here to be with humans. Why? I can call off their attacks and let you go _if_ you aren't going to be a threat," Danny compromised. Recuerda frowned in confusion.

"I have done nothing wrong. I help humans. I could help you. The living don't understand the honour of having their memories. For those that can't handle it, I take those memories. I become more powerful and they have peace of mind, everybody wins," Recuerda explained. Danny blinked, alarmed. This ghost stole memories. How much did she take?! Did she cause amnesia?

"Why do you need power?" Danny asked.

"To make memories take better form for my own protection," Recuerda reasoned. Danny didn't like the sound of that. This ghost was dangerous. Whether she knew it or not. She could steal memories and then use those memories to make an army. He couldn't let her stay. He had to convince her to leave, because he wasn't so sure he could fight this ghost. Fighting her, meant facing his memories and he wasn't sure if he could fight some of those.

"Recuerda. I'm sorry. But I won't be able to convince those hunters to leave you alone. You'd be safer if you returned to the Ghost Zone. You can use an artificial portal," Danny began. Recuerda's expression hardened.

"You cannot dismiss me! I am not leaving and you can't make me," Recuerda growled.

"Recuerda, please. I don't want to fight you," Danny encouraged.

"You're right. You don't. So don't stand in my way," Recuerda snarled.

"_Guys, we're in for a fight. Be ready. She makes illusions from your past that can hurt you_," Danny warned the team.

"Recuerda, I can't allow you to keep hurting my friends and family. And I can't allow you to just steal people's memories. Either you go back to the Ghost Zone by yourself or… I send you there by force!" Danny decided, filling his voice with authority and puffing out his chest confidently. Recuerda scowled at him.

"You will regret that choice," Recuerda threatened.

She lunged at him. He dodged and charged his hand with ghost energy, firing a ghost ray at her. The ghost ray hit her squarely in the chest. She cried out in pain and clutched her burnt, smoking front. Her black eyes pulsed with rage. She pointed her hand at Danny and a rippling aura surrounded him for a spilt second before a mechanical robotic arm grabbed him by the ankle. He gasped in alarm and looked down. The machine that experimented on him for the Light and that gorilla were directly below him. The machine's metal claw had his ankle despite the altitude he was floating. His breath caught in his throat and his heart, despite being in ghost mode, fluttered in his chest with fear.

"I can make your worst memories come to life halfa," Recuerda reminded him. Danny cried out in panicked fear as the metal arm started to reel him in, pulling him against his will to the ground.

"_Danny! What's going on_!?" Robin exclaimed, having noticed the change in the skirmish. The team saw the fight start but Danny had pulsed with black light and his determined expression had shifted into a terrified one. He was obviously fighting something that was pulling him down to the ground also.

"_It's-it's the m-machine! They-they're here_!" Danny mentally shouted in alarm. Robin glanced at Aqualad in confusion before they both gasped in understanding. The Brain. Danny never recalled the scientist's name. He always referred to him as a machine.

"What's going on?" Sam asked, spotting the team and running to them.

"The ghost is making an illusion. Danny thinks that the person who experimented on him for the Light is here right now," Aqualad explained.

"_Danny, it's not real. It's the ghost. It's an illusion_," Artemis reminded the teen. Danny struggled against the pull of the claw but he couldn't break away. Suddenly he was slammed into the ground, knocking the air out him. Three more claws shot out from the Brain and pinned the halfa down.

"Monsieur Mallah. The garments," the Brain ordered in his thick French accent. Danny trembled in fear and shouted out. Tucker tore his horrified gaze away from his best friend, held down and terrified of some invisible being. He turned to the ghost above. She was grinning cruelly. Tucker scowled and lifted his ecto-weapon, firing at the ghost, hoping to distract her enough to destroy the illusions attacking Danny.

The blast hit the ghost above and she spun in mid-air to glare hatefully at Tucker. Tucker gulped.

"I got her attention. Now what?" Tucker called to the others. The team tore their worried gaze from Danny whose jumpsuit was being ripped by something invisible.

"Sam, Tucker, Jazz. Take point with Artemis, Kid Flash, myself, Rocket and Superboy. Robin, Zatanna and Miss Martian. You go to Danny and try and help him with his illusions," Aqualad commanded. The teens all nodded. Sam, Tucker and Jazz split up the superheroes between themselves while the remaining three sprinted to Danny's side.

Danny meanwhile had tried to struggle out of the Brain's metal claws while Monsieur Mallah ripped his jumpsuit to shreds, the arms were torn off and his front ripped in half to bare his chest. The Brain had then produced a scalpel from nowhere and handed it to the gorilla. The large primate was trying to cut a large "Y" in Danny's chest but Danny was moving too much. The gorilla had only managed to carve deep cuts into Danny's torso so far. Danny wasn't thinking about what he was doing or even what was truly happening. His panic was all encompassing. He refused to be made the specimen again. Not again! He was finally getting over the last time he had with this sick twisted scientist. He was getting over his time with the Guys in White. He couldn't go back to being broken. He refused! So he struggled and shouted animalistic fearful protests.

Robin, Miss Martian and Zatanna raced to Danny's aid. They could hear his fear and panic despite the distance. Zatanna gasped in alarm as she saw a long cut appearing on his chest, green ghost blood seeping out.

"Danny! We're coming!" she shouted, hoping to ease his fears in any way possible. Robin dropped to his knees beside Danny and tried to heave the halfa to his feet and away from the illusion attacking him but the teen wouldn't budge.

"What do we do Robin?" Miss Martian asked as she saw Robin's first plan of action wasn't working.

"We need to help Danny by removing the illusion," Robin decided.

"How!?" Zatanna challenged as another wound was cut into Danny's chest, who hadn't noticed their arrival.

Robin scowled and watched Danny's movements. He deduced, from the direction Danny was looking and shouting towards, where the illusion of the Brain and his gorilla Monsieur Mallah were. He could also see exactly where the restraints were on Danny, his eyes widened in alarm as he saw the illusionary restraints were starting to cut into the halfa's wrists. His boots had yet to be worn through.

"He's restrained. Brain and Mallah are about there. We need to beat the illusion by working with it. Let's just hope if Danny sees us punch Mallah out cold, it works," Robin suggested. Zatanna and Miss Martian nodded and moved beside the illusionary enemies. Robin pulled out a pocket-sized saw and switched it on.

"We'll get you out of there in a sec Danny," Robin muttered to the halfa. He bit his lip and nodded to the girls. They nodded back and kicked and punched the things attacking Danny.

The result was instantaneous. Danny stopped screaming and struggling as his illusions were knocked out by Zatanna and Miss Martian. Robin then carefully used his saw to cut the invisible restraints, taking care not to cut Danny. Zatanna helped the halfa up to his feet, giving him support as his trembling knees threatened to give way.

"Are you alright?" she asked him. Danny gulped down fresh air before nodding shakily.

"I knew this would happen," he croaked.

"What?" Miss Martian questioned.

"She'd make me face those kinds of memories," Danny elaborated.

"I don't understand," Robin retorted.

"She's the ghost of memory. She can make your memories come to life. And she can steal your memories. I knew if I couldn't convince her to leave and had to fight her, she'd use my memories against me," Danny explained, gradually regaining his composure. Robin glanced at the girls before turning to the ghost above.

"At least we know what to expect now," Robin muttered.

**Did anyone notice what I did with the ghost's name?**

**How will Danny and his teams defeat this ghost since she can draw on their memories for weapons?**

**What will she do next?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far and any theories you may have.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	112. Chapter 112

Jazz and Superboy ran to the other side of the ghost as the others ran to their planned out attack positions. They found Maddie and Jazz explained the situation. The mother had been horrified to hear what was happening to her son and ran out to attack the ghost from behind while the other two teams took their positions and attacked as well. Sam was with Aqualad and Artemis beside the fountain, the water mains aiding the Atlantean. Tucker, Kid Flash and Rocket were attacking the ghost from the other side.

"_Danny might need some medical attention_," Robin reported to the rest of the team.

"_I'm fine. It's just a few cuts. And a ripped suit. I'll heal in no time. What did I miss_?" Danny interjected through the mind link. The rest of the team breathed quick sighs of relief.

"_Sam, Jazz and Tucker have taken point and we're attacking on three sides right now. Tucker tried to distract the ghost and we may have angered her_," Aqualad informed the halfa.

"_Be ready to face anything from your pasts then. Warn my mom, Jazz and Sam and Tucker_," Danny warned them.

"Danny's okay. They stopped the illusion. But the ghost conjures illusions from your memories. So be ready," Aqualad relayed to Sam as Superboy and Rocket told their team members.

"Thank goodness," Sam breathed before shooting at the ghost.

Danny glared up at the ghost and bit his lip in thought. Robin followed the halfa's gaze.

"What are you thinking?" Robin wondered as the ghost hissed at the latest blast that hit her from Maddie. Danny sighed.

"What the others are doing isn't actually doing anything. She's just getting angry. But… if we can weaken her a bit then we might be able to pin her down long enough to get the thermos," Danny replied. Robin nodded.

"If what we're doing isn't working… then how are we going to weaken her?" Miss Martian interjected. Danny glanced at her before turning back to stare at the ghost. Robin scowled.

"We need to get her to use her powers but we can't let her steal anyone's memories or she'll get more powerful. She told me she gets her power from the memories she steals. Which must mean she can get tired," Danny told them.

"Sounds risky," Robin commented.

"I can seal our minds magically but it'll mean we can't use the mind link," Zatanna offered.

"_Kaldur. Zatanna can seal our minds to stop that ghost stealing our memories. But we'll lose the mind link. We have the Fenton phones. Should she go ahead? Memories power the ghost_," Robin reported to their leader. They spotted the Atlantean falter before tapping the ear phone in his ear.

"Do it," Aqualad's voice came through the Fenton phone.

"_Activate your Fenton phones_," Aqualad ordered his team.

Zatanna nodded and sat down on the trampled grass, crossing her legs. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing her mind and body.

"I nommus eht srewop dnuonra em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. Annataz arataz. Leinad notnef. Mha'rudlak. Rekcut yelof. Drachir nosyarg. Eniledam notnef. Nnag'm zzro'm. leuqar nivre. Enimsaj notnef. Rennoc tnek. Simetra kcorc. Ahtnamas nosnam. Yllaw tsew. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. I nommus eht srewop dnuora em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac," Zatanna began to chant under her breath.

Danny tore his gaze away from Zatanna and watched the ghost. Despite the others not doing much to stop the ghost, he was able to see how she moved. She was fast and despite being angry, she hadn't thrown an ectoblast at anyone yet. That meant one of two things. She either couldn't make ectoblasts or she didn't want to fight. It put Danny in a difficult position. He wasn't comfortable with attacking a peaceful ghost. It was prejudices like that which had made things difficult for him during his early days as a hero. While he didn't see Recuerda as a hero, it didn't mean she was necessarily the bad guy either. Things used to be so much simpler. Ghosts either were evil and tried to kill him or were good and helped him. But Recuerda wasn't an easy case. She claimed to help humans by taking memories they couldn't handle. He knew what that was like. It wasn't that long ago when he would have given anything to not have to remember what happened. Ignorance would have been bliss. But he also knew now that despite dealing with those difficult memories, he was stronger now because of them. Maybe Recuerda didn't understand that and was genuinely a benevolent ghost. Not like Nocturne who had similar uses for dreams, taking energy from dreams and using them to form sleepwalkers who attacked humans.

Danny sighed, Zatanna's chanting fading into background noise as he realised he needed to try and talk down the ghost one more time before he passed judgement. Recuerda had been provoked before. Team Phantom and his parents probably attacked her. He could speak from experience, when attacked, sometimes self-defence could be seen as something more sinister. He glanced at Sam as she fired her weapon at Recuerda alongside Aqualad and Artemis.

"I need to talk with Sam," Danny informed Robin and Miss Martian, Zatanna was in a trance as she chanted and didn't hear him. Robin blinked.

"Why?" Robin questioned.

"I need to make sure that we're not making a mistake in attacking Recuerda. This might be a case of misunderstanding and self-defence. I don't want to make another enemy if she really isn't one already," Danny reasoned.

"Recuerda?" Miss Martian repeated in confusion.

"It's her name," Danny clarified. Robin shifted his gaze away from Zatanna and watched the ghost for a few seconds before seeing what Danny saw. The ghost wasn't attacking. He nodded in understanding.

"Do what you have to. We'll take care of Zatanna," Robin concluded. Danny flashed the boy wonder a quick smile of thanks before flying over to the destroyed fountain.

"Danny!? Your chest!" Sam exclaimed as the halfa landed beside her. He blinked and looked down at his bare torso. He couldn't be sure how fast he healed or how quickly his suit would reform. He did know that his suit reformed faster when it wasn't completely destroyed. As for his deep clean cuts from the illusion's scalpel, they had already stopped bleeding and throbbing painfully. He could tell without testing the wounds that they would be tender and may reopen if they were hit or pulled the wrong way, but they weren't a big deal. Although he could see how alarming it looked. He waved a dismissive hand towards her.

"I'm fine. Looks worse than it is. I heal really fast. Probably will be healed by tonight," he assured her. Sam glanced at Artemis and Aqualad who gave her quick nods in confirmation before they resumed attacking the ghost. The three teams relied on the others keeping up their attacks to ensure that the ghost's attention was split enough to prevent her retaliating.

"I need to talk to you," Danny added.

"Alright. About what?" Sam retorted.

"When you heard that the ghost was in town, what happened? She's not attacking back right now and I'm worried that we're attacking a ghost that's more like Wulf than Nocturne," Danny explained. Sam blinked.

"No, Danny she threw the first punch. We've tried to make sure that any ghost we capture, unless we've already met them, is an enemy. It took a little while to get your mom and dad on board with that policy. But she was making everyone in the park run away from her illusions. We didn't understand what was going on until your dad started freaking out about Vlad attacking us," Sam recalled. Danny scowled and turned back to Recuerda.

"She lied to me then. She told me you guys attacked her first," he growled.

Sam frowned and shook her head.

"No. She attacked us first. Honest Danny," Sam affirmed confidently. Danny nodded.

"Then why isn't she attacking now?" he muttered. Sam blinked before frowning herself. She hadn't realised in the heat of the unintentionally one-sided fight that the ghost hadn't retaliated yet.

"I don't know," she mumbled suspiciously.

"I'm gonna try and talk to her one more time," Danny decided.

"Is that a good idea!?" Artemis called over to him, firing another exploding arrow at Recuerda. Danny glanced at her before shrugging.

"Probably not. But I have to try. She's up to something. There's something about her that's throwing me off," Danny replied. Sam frowned at him. He tapped his Fenton phone.

"Everyone, stop firing for a sec. I'm gonna try talking to her one more time. But be ready," Danny told them. He squared his shoulders and jumped into the air and flew towards Recuerda once again.

He slowed down once he reached her level.

"Recuerda! Can we have another chat?" Danny shouted. Recuerda turned to him and scowled.

"I thought I dealt with you," she snarled.

"Not quite yet. You lied to me. You told me that you were attacked first. But you attacked them first. Why are you here!?" Danny growled. This ghost was really ticking him off. Hurting his father. Lying to him. Forcing him to face one of the worst memories of his life.

"The best memories are the ones attached to strong emotions. Fear is one of the strongest emotions out there halfa. Fear can follow a human throughout their entire lives. I don't remember my life halfa. The only way I have to feel alive is to see a human's memories. This city is filled with people carrying memories of terror born from ghosts attacking them," Recuerda revealed. Danny scowled. That was what was putting him off balance. This ghost was a combination of Nocturne and Spectra. And Spectra had always been one of the ghosts that put him on his guard.

"I will not let you attack my home and loved ones. You don't frighten me. I defeated Pariah Dark. I can stop a leech like you," Danny growled protectively. Recuerda sneered at him and outstretched a hand. A dark aura pulsed around him before her eyes widened in alarm. Danny smirked. Zatanna's spell was working. She scowled and reached out towards him again and tried to summon an illusion from his memories once more.

"Why isn't it working?" she whispered to herself.

"It pays to have a magician on your side. You won't be able to use your tricks on any of us," Danny informed her before pointing his palm at her and charged it with his ghost energy.

"One last chance. Leave this town. Go back to the Ghost Zone. Before I make you," Danny commanded. Recuerda gasped, retracting her hand nervously. Things were finally smoothing out. He'd have this ghost back in the Ghost Zone in no time.

"Danny! Look out behind you!" Tucker's voice shouted through the Fenton phone. Danny blinked in surprise and chanced a glance over his shoulder before he gasped in alarm and was forced to dodge a barrage of ecto-blasts.

**Oh dear, one thing after another.**

**Any guesses who or what caused those ecto-blasts?**

**How will the team and Danny's loved ones be able to defeat Recuerda? **

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	113. Chapter 113

Things were finally going his way! The first real ghost he'd faced since the Guys in White kidnapped him, Skulker didn't really count since he went easy on him and Vlad… well Vlad was Vlad. But he finally got things relatively under control and _she_ had to turn up and mess it up. Danny shot a glare over his shoulder as he flew away from the teenaged, red and black clad ghost huntress. Valerie Gray had arrived. And as usual, she was after the wrong ghost. What did he have to do to get her off his tail?! Honestly!

"Who is that?!" Robin shouted into the Fenton phones.

"Valerie," Sam answered with an annoyed tone. Danny glanced back at Recuerda, even though he was running from Valerie right now, he was determined to not get chased away from her. The ghost was watching the turn of events with a relieved, amused grin creeping on to her face as the shock wore off.

Danny growled in his throat. He was going to defeat this ghost. All he had to do was beat her up a bit and get the thermos. The only problem was Valerie. Danny frowned. The last time Phantom saw Valerie was when Danielle got caught by Vlad, well technically she caught Danielle and handed her over to Vlad but details. She had worked with Phantom to save Danielle. They had an uneasy truce going. Sort of. It depended on her mood. If she was in a good mood she wouldn't go near him, but if he caught her in a bad mood she'd take her frustrations out on him. So… why was she so aggressive right now?

"What's your deal Val?!" Danny shouted over his shoulder, turning and shooting her a confused glance.

"Don't call me Val! We're not friends!" Valerie snapped. Danny raised an eyebrow to himself. She wasn't acting like normal. She was talking to him, not threatening him at the top of her voice. It was almost like he had upset her. Personally. Not angered her. This wasn't her vengeful senseless attacking. In fact, compared to the past, she was pretty level headed.

"Alright. But why are you attacking me?! I was about to take down that ghost!" Danny retorted. He spun around to face her and put up a shield to protect himself from her ectoblasts. Valerie ground her teeth and glared at him.

"You left! You left and I had to pick up your slack! Do you know how hard it has been?! You just disappeared and the ghosts had a field day! I almost got expelled! I nearly lost my job!" Valerie ranted. Danny blinked in astonishment. He had never considered how Phantom being gone had affected Valerie. His family and friends. Of course, they were affected by both of his halves missing. But Valerie, she hadn't registered. Now that he thought about it. Valerie was one of the more active ghost hunters in Amity Park. Next to him in reliability and success rate. He constantly depended on her whenever Phantom couldn't make an appearance for whatever reason. She was his back up plan, no matter how unwilling or unintentional. And she'd never been informed of his reason for disappearing. Valerie rarely talked to ghosts. She didn't even do witty banter, she just screamed death threats confidently at the top of her voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about your situation. But honestly, I had no choice in… leaving," Danny began apologetically. He was the reason she started ghost hunting. And ghost hunting wasn't a hobby or a job, it was a way of life. Once you started, it was impossible to stop. Like superheroes, the call was always there once answered. And ghosts did exist forever, they carried grudges, especially against humans. He may not have wanted to get her into this way of life, but he was the reason she picked up that first blaster. He and Cujo. He was responsible for her.

"What are you talking about!? You had no choice? That's nonsense!" Valerie retorted.

"I was taken Valerie. The Guys in White caught me," Danny admitted. Valerie scowled before she saw his bare chest littered with scabbing wounds.

"That ghost, Recuerda, she's the ghost of memory. She used my memories against me," Danny explained. Slowly Valerie's angered glare softened.

"Those Guys in White are morons. Idiots. How did they catch you?" Valerie muttered.

"Trap. They got a load of low powered ghosts to lure me into an ambush and then shot me with a gun that screwed my powers up. I didn't stand a chance," Danny confessed. He had realised that with Black Canary's help. He had been put in a situation where he couldn't win. With his powers going haywire, he wouldn't have been able to fight off his attackers or escape.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I should have realised that you wouldn't have left without a valid reason. How are you here now though?" Valerie mumbled. Danny pointed down.

"I was rescued by Young Justice. A team formed by Batman to work alongside the Justice League. I've… I've been in protection ever since," Danny replied. Valerie blinked, looking down and spotted Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin, the most recognisable members of the team, having worked for years beside high profile heroes such as Aquaman, Batman and Flash.

"What's going on Danny?" Conner asked.

"Me and er the Red Huntress are having a little chat. Nothing to worry about Superboy," Danny answered, placing a hand over the Fenton phone for Valerie's benefit.

"Red Huntress?" Valerie repeated.

"What? Don't like it? Would you rather I tell everyone with one of these who you are?" Danny retorted, he knew everyone wearing a Fenton phone knew who Valerie was, with maybe his mother being the exception, but if he told her that she'd get angry and maybe even suspicious. Valerie tilted her head considering the new alias.

"No, I actually kinda like it," Valerie admitted, she knew her new suit had more black than red but she didn't want to be called the Black Huntress for obvious reasons. Danny dropped his shield and turned to Recuerda. The ghost had watched the exchange with apprehension before scowling at the halfa, realising that his disagreement with Valerie had been resolved.

"So where was I? Oh yeah, Recuerda, what's it gunna be? You leave by yourself or in a thermos?" Danny asked with a stern angered tone. Recuerda glanced at Danny, the group of people below and finally rested her gaze on Valerie. Suddenly her worried scowl twisted into a smug smirk.

"It's not over yet," she hissed and pointed a hand at Valerie. Danny gasped as he realised his error. Valerie wasn't included in Zatanna's spell. She was vulnerable. Valerie was enveloped in a black aura and then Recuerda turned her other hand and pointed at the ground, her hand pulsing white. Danny followed the ghost's other hand and his stomach flipped with dread. A white figure was taking form. A large form. The white bled away to reveal colour and detail on the figure. Valerie gasped.

"How did he get here!?" She shouted in alarm. Danny swallowed his nervousness.

"Ghost of memory. He's from your memories," Danny clarified.

"This form of memory does take more energy but rest assured it is much harder to beat than those previous illusions," Recuerda gloated. Danny tore his gaze away from Pariah Dark who had yet to move from the spot he was formed on and turned to Recuerda.

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" he growled. Recuerda sniggered and clicked her fingers. The ghost below them roared a war cry and took earth-shuddering steps towards those on the ground. Danny gasped in alarm and sped down towards the ghost to protect his team and loved ones.

"What is that thing!?" Kid Flash yelped into the Fenton phones, alarmed as the ghost lumbered towards Tucker, Rocket and Kid Flash, the most exposed team other than Robin, Zatanna and Miss Martian.

"It's a memory from Valerie. Pariah Dark. Ghost king," Danny explained as he landed in front of the memory and blasted it. The ghost stumbled before turning to Danny.

"No one can defeat me!" Pariah Dark snarled. Danny scowled. The ghost wasn't how he recalled him. The Pariah Dark he fought had been proud and confident. This was mediocre in comparison. Danny fired another ghost ray at the ghost again. He narrowed his eyes as the blast hardly registered with the ghost. Danny groaned in frustration. Valerie obviously recalled the ghost as an immoveable mountain of an opponent. This was not going to be easy.

"Alright, he's not gonna be easy to beat. My ghost rays aren't making a dent and they should," Danny reported to the others.

"That's the guy you beat?" Rocket asked in awe. Danny shook his head.

"No. This is a cheap imitation. Valerie didn't really get to fight much against him. Her recollection is wrong. He's stronger than before and kind of stupider too," Danny admitted.

**Yep, things keep getting more complicated. **

**But Valerie's on the scene now. Will any secrets be lost?**

**Will she help or hinder the team fighting Recuerda?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	114. Chapter 114

Aqualad pursed his lips. Danny had spent the last five minutes firing a mixture of ghost rays and ice blasts at the memory of Pariah Dark. Valeie had joined Danny, firing numerous ghost weapons at the hulking being but a number of the ecto-seeking weapons had unfortunately switched targets from the memory to Danny. Zatanna was still chanting in her trance, casting her spell to protect the team and Danny's loved ones. They couldn't break through her trance to tell her to include one Valerie Gray. Zatanna would have to end her spell and then recast it in order to add Valerie into its protection. Maddie, Sam, Jazz and Tucker had resumed attacking Recuerda to prevent her conjuring more memories from Valerie's mind or to attack the others. Robin and Miss Martian hovered close to Zatanna to protect the magician.

Kid Flash zoomed over to Aqualad while Rocket, Artemis and Superboy covered Danny's loved ones and Danny and Valerie as best they could in their fights.

"What are we gonna do?" Kid Flash asked with concern. Aqualad shook his head, at a loss. Previously, whenever Aqualad tried to take point when dealing with a ghost, he had only made the situation more dangerous or difficult. Danny was the expert. And as far as Aqualad could see, Danny didn't know how to beat this ghost and her illusions. Aqualad glanced at Robin and Miss Martian. He hummed in thought.

"Danny was trapped by his memory. How did they defeat it and free him?" Aqualad muttered before running over towards Robin, Zatanna and Miss Martian.

"Robin, M'gann! How did you save Danny earlier? Maybe it'll help defeat that memory of Pariah Dark," Aqualad called as he approached them. Robin turned to the Atlantean before frowning in thought.

"We just fought them like we would normally. I cut the restraints using my pocket saw and M'gann and Zatanna knocked out the Brain and his gorilla," Robin recalled. Aqualad frowned in thought.

"So, Danny saw you knock them out. Maybe… we have to prove to the person who the memory came from that we beat the memory. You convinced Danny that you could free him by working with the illusion," Aqualad theorised.

"Great plan. How do we apply it here though?" Miss Martian remarked. Aqualad sighed and shrugged.

"A power play," Kid Flash offered, he had followed Aqualad to the small group without the others noticing.

"What do you mean?" Aqualad pressed, curious. Kid Flash smirked.

"Well, Valerie just has to believe that we can beat that ghost. We don't have to. We just have to convince Valerie," Kid Flash elaborated with an excited grin.

Aqualad raised an eyebrow. That wasn't a bad idea.

"Everyone, we're gonna do a power play. Show Valerie a powerful move being used against the memory and it might just convince her it worked. Any ideas?" Aqualad announced over the Fenton phones.

"Ghostly wail but might revert to human," Danny suggested. The team paused in surprise and turned him.

"I'm fine doing that now. I think. But I'd prefer it to be a last resort if possible. If I use it against this illusion I'll be powerless to fight Recuerda," Danny added, rolling his eyes as he blasted Pariah Dark.

"Okay, Ghostly wail is out. What can we do?" Sam's voice decided over the Fenton phones. Aqualad blinked himself out of his surprise and nodded.

"If we combine our powers or abilities together we can make a very impressive attack. It doesn't have to be effective, just impressive," Aqualad suggested.

"I can make a funnel of air with my super speed. You guys can feed other attacks into it," Kid Flash offered.

"We can fire our ghost weapons into that then," Tucker remarked. Aqualad hummed thoughtfully.

"I can use my Atlantean magic to channel electricity into the air funnel," Aqualad added.

"I can tell Valerie to fire into it too. And I can add my ice to it," Danny contributed. Aqualad smirked.

"Sounds like a plan then. Anyone else think of anything to add, go ahead," Aqualad concluded.

Kid Flash sprinted forwards and started to run around the memory of Pariah Dark. Within seconds a funnel of air centred around Pariah Dark. Danny flew over to Valerie as the rest of the team gathered.

"Val, we're gonna combine our powers to make one big attack to take out this memory of Pariah Dark. Do what you can," Danny informed the ghost hunter. Valerie nodded to Danny uncertainly. Danny smirked and flew up to the top of the air funnel and his neon green eyes turned bright blue. He charged his hands with his ice energy and started to channel that energy into the air funnel, making the air funnel sparkle with cold energy.

Tucker, Sam, Jazz and Maddie ran over to Aqualad while Robin, Rocket and Superboy took over distracting Recuerda and Miss Martian remained beside Zatanna to protect the magician. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Maddie and Artemis started shooting into the air funnel, the spinning air pulling the blasts into the air current around Pariah Dark. Aqualad glanced at Valerie as he put his hands as close as possible to the spinning air. His tattoos began to glow blue and electricity raced across the spinning air also. Valerie smirked as she floated over to Danny and readied her largest weapon and fired into the air funnel.

"This might just work," Valerie commented. Danny glanced at her.

"Kid Flash, start stage two," Danny told the speedster over the Fenton phones.

"Stage two?" Artemis repeated in confusion.

"He means we need to kick this up a bit more. It's working but it needs more," Sam realised. Aqualad hummed.

"Kid, make the funnel smaller, actually hit the memory. The attacks are just circling it," Aqualad ordered. Kid Flash nodded to himself and began to make the air funnel narrower as he ran in smaller and smaller circles around the memory.

The memory Pariah Dark began to shout in anger and pain as he was shredded by the spinning air charged with ghost ice, ecto-blasts and Atlantean electricity. Valerie let out a shout of joy as Pariah Dark was forced to his knees.

"Thermos!" Danny shouted in the Fenton phone and Sam gave a curt nod. She dropped her ecto-blaster and unclipped her thermos from her hip and ran forward to the edge of the air funnel and primed the thermos.

"Kid Flash! I need a clear shot!" Sam yelled. Kid Flash skidded to a stop and the air stilled around them tingling with energy as the attacks dissipated. Sam switched on the thermos and bright blue light spilled over Pariah Dark and sucked the memory inside.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Valerie cheered, lowering her weapon as she punched a fist into the air. Danny breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at Valerie.

"Good plan guys," Danny muttered over the Fenton phones.

Danny turned to Recuerda. Rocket, Robin and Superboy had managed to keep the ghost occupied while the others dealt with the memory from Valerie. But the memory ghost had seen her creation's defeat. She snarled at the group on the ground as she dodged Superboy, who had jumped up and attempted to punch her. Recuerda glanced in Danny's direction and charged at him. Danny gasped in alarm but didn't have the time to dodge her as she grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Phantom!" Valerie exclaimed in alarm. Recuerda growled in her throat as a dark aura spread over both ghosts. Unbeknownst to Recuerda, everyone but Valerie was also engulfed in the same aura.

"If bringing your memories to you doesn't work, I'll just have to bring you to them," Recuerda hissed.

"Let me go!" Danny demanded.

"You are stopping me from feeling alive halfa! You must be dealt with. Then I can deal with those annoying humans," Recuerda retorted.

"No. I won't let you!" Danny growled with determination as the world around him bled away to a black nothingness where only Recuerda existed, still holding him firmly.

Valerie stared at Danny and Recuerda as the aura grew darker and thicker until they were hidden in the darkness. She could hear Danny grunting with effort as he tried to fight Recuerda out of his mind and memories. Meanwhile below, Garfield and Danielle Phantom appeared behind a clump of bushes. Garfield sprinted forwards as he saw Miss Martian's eyes roll back into her head and she collapsed. Zatanna's chanting petered off as she fell to her side unconscious also. Danielle watched in horror as the rest of the team, Sam, Tucker, Jazz and Maddie also crumbled to the ground unconscious. She looked up and saw Valerie hovering on her jet sled staring at a dark mass where Danny and the memory ghost were. She jumped into the air and sped up to meet her friend.

"Val! Don't just stand there! Do something!" Danielle yelled. Valerie startled and turned to Danielle.

"Dani. What _can_ I do?" Valerie retorted, at a loss. Danielle floated beside the teenaged ghost hunter and bit her lip.

"I really don't know. Maybe we can try to get rid of that cloud. Might free Danny," Danielle suggested. Valerie shrugged.

"Worth a try," Valerie remarked and pulled out a glowing red blade and flew over to the dark aura and slashed it with her blade. A resounding clang sounded through the air and Valerie yelped in pain as the resistance vibrated through the blade and up her hand, wrist and arm to her shoulder. Suddenly a beam of grey light shot out at Valerie and a white figure took form a few feet behind the hunter who managed to dodge the light. Colour bled into the figure to create a second Red Huntress wearing Valerie's old armour.

"Get here so I can waste you!" the memory shrieked and began firing blasts at Danielle and Valerie wildly. Valerie and Danielle screamed and fled.

**Gasp! What just happened!? **

**Let me know what you guys think will happen.**

**And yep, Danielle and Garfield hitchhiked on the Bioship and followed the team to Amity Park and the fight.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	115. Chapter 115

Sam opened her eyes slowly. What happened? She put a hand to her forehead, except… she couldn't move her hand. She blinked in confusion before she realised that she didn't recognise the white ceiling above her. Frightened she turned her head to look around herself. She was in a lab. A ghost hunter's lab judging by the beakers full of glowing green substances. Gulping nervously she lifted her head as much as she could with her arms strapped above her head and she realised her ankles were also strapped down. She frowned in confusion. She was wearing stained light blue jeans. But most puzzling was the fact that her chest was flat, her feminine curves were gone. Her very masculine chest was fairly well toned and bare.

The door gently thudded open and Sam turned to the person. It was a scientist. Long white lab coat and clipboard in his hand. The scientist strolled over to Sam and wordlessly scribbled something on the clipboard before turning on a computer. Sam opened her mouth to ask what was going on but no noise came out. She frowned and tried again. The door thudded open again and a second scientist walked in.

"Creature's awake. Might have to up the dosage," the first scientist commented to the second. Sam glanced between the scientists in confusion before scowling. Were they just ignoring her?

"What's on the agenda today then?" the second scientist asked, leaning over the first scientist's shoulder to read the computer screen.

"He wants us to examine the lungs and heart. See how different they are to ours," the first scientist informed the second. The second nodded and turned to a wheeled stainless steel trolley off to one side. Sam watched as he placed a number of implements on the steel tray, scalpels, scissors, large nut-cracker like pliers. Sam frowned. What were they going to do with those things?

A few minutes later the first scientist stood up from the computer and pulled an IV line out of her arm that until now she hadn't noticed. The second scientist rolled the trolley over to Sam's side. He popped off the lid on a felt-tip pen.

"Alright creature change," the second scientist ordered. Without realising what happened, Sam gritted her teeth angrily and shook her head firmly. The scientist backhanded her.

"Change now," the scientist commanded.

"I don't feel like it. Actually I prefer just lying here relaxing for a change," Sam retorted coolly. Sam blinked. That wasn't her voice. That was Danny's! She gasped. She was wearing Danny's jeans. She had Danny's chest. She was strapped to a table in a ghost hunter's lab, just like Danny had! She, somehow, had become Danny from his time with the Guys in White.

Suddenly agony raced through her and she yelled in pain. Her head turned to see the first scientist holding a sparking taser.

"Change or I use this again," the first scientist threatened. Sam felt herself gulp nervously before a wave of cold swept over her and her body was covered by a black and white jumpsuit. The first scientist nodded, satisfied while the second put down the pen and grabbed a pair of scissors. Sam's heart sped up in fear as the scientist cut through the jumpsuit and picked up the pen to mark out where they would cut her chest open to examine her hyperventilating lungs and thundering heart. A sudden thought flashed through her mind. She couldn't hide her fear from them once they saw that.

Maddie opened her eyes. She shivered. She was so cold. Why was it so cold?! She had a thick coat on and it wasn't that cold outside today. She was walking down a street.

"Might as well just go through the side gate. Sam will be in her greenhouse or the kitchen," Tucker remarked. Maddie turned to him and blinked in surprise.

"Good idea. The less Sam's parents see me the better. There's only so m-m-much dirty looks I can take a day," she replied, shivering mid-comment. She frowned. She recognised that voice. It was her son's. They walked together through the creaky gate and into the glass greenhouse. Maddie gasped as she caught her reflection in the glass. She looked identical to her son before he was taken by the Guys in White.

"Close the door! Cold air isn't good for the plants!" Sam exclaimed and slammed the door shut behind Maddie and Tucker.

Jazz opened her eyes and gasped. She was in an unfamiliar bedroom looking at about a dozen shadowy figures.

"You're a failure," one shadow growled. Jazz wanted to scowl and argue that she wasn't with plenty of proof. But instead, her hands flew to her ears and pressed down tightly to block out the voice that sent terrified shivers down her spine. That voice meant pain. She didn't know why, but that voice was dangerous and terrifying.

"How can you be a hero? You can't even protect yourself," another voice with a thick French accent taunted. Jazz blinked in surprise, quickly realising what was happening while she felt herself whimper and curl into herself tighter, trying to escape the voices.

Robin opened his eyes and quietly took in his surroundings. He was in an alleyway somewhere in Amity Park. He felt himself smirk before jumping into the air and zooming off towards the Nasty Burger. It was getting late and he knew just what his evil self would be doing. Robin blinked in surprise at those thoughts and actions. Since when could he fly? And since when did he have an evil self? He looked down to see he was wearing Danny's jumpsuit. No, he wasn't just wearing his suit, he was also glowing like a ghost. He scowled as he realised he was Danny. And the culprit had to be Recuerda. But… how did he escape this memory?

He glanced off towards Fenton Works before deciding to make a detour to grab a few tools to use in his potential coming fight. He phased into the lab and grabbed a Spectre Deflector and Fenton thermos before spotting the Ghost Gauntlets. He smirked as a plan clicked into place and grabbed the gloves, before phasing into his room. He grabbed his backpack, dumping his school books onto his bed and packed everything into the bag. Shrugging the bag on his back, Robin flew off towards the Nasty Burger once again. He gasped fearfully as he spotted something dreadful. A tall, muscular ghost with flaming white hair and pointed blue ears had strapped Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Jack and Maddie and a middle-aged, overweight man to a vat of bubbling red liquid with sticky green bindings. Robin shoved the ghost away at top speed, sending the ghost a good distance away.

"Don't worry. I won't turn into that. Ever. I promise. I guess this sort of explains my periodic absences huh?" Robin remarked.

Raquel opened her eyes and found herself laying in a dark cold room. She slowly pushed herself into a seated position. Her whole body ached, especially her chest and her head. It felt like she got hit. She sat there, stock still. She didn't know what they wanted her to do but if she did anything to upset them then they would hurt her. Raquel blinked at the thought. Why would she think that? She had never been hit because she upset someone. Where was she? She should examine the room for a way out. But she was too terrified to move more than an inch. Her eyes wandered and she saw her red-stained bandages over her wrists and the thick cast on her ankle. That explained the pain but she couldn't remember how she got hurt. She was wearing a baggy t-shirt and jogging bottoms. Her wrist had a splint on it too. The room was small and bare, glistening with frost. She shivered slightly. The cold was starting to affect her but it wasn't a problem. Besides she couldn't call out for a blanket or something. That might anger them.

Raquel blinked. She recognised these clothes. Danny wore them during his captivity with the Light. But why was she wearing them. And… what happened to her feminine curves? Raquel frowned in thought as she thought back to the last thing she remembered before finding herself in this icy room alone. Recuerda, ghost of memory. Raquel frowned, this must be a memory. But it certainly wasn't hers. It had to be Danny's. Raquel struggled to think back before she gasped, she remembered Recuerda grabbing Danny and spreading her ghostly aura over him. Recuerda did something to Danny but then why was she in this room, trapped in his memory? Unless it wasn't just her. Maybe, just maybe because they were connected by Zatanna's spell, they were all sucked into the ghost's spell by accident. But what did that mean for Danny and the others? If Raquel was trapped in Danny's memory, unable to move due to fear, then how was she going to escape and find the others?

"I nommus eht srewop dnuonra em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. Annataz arataz. Leinad notnef. Mha'rudlak. Rekcut yelof. Drachir nosyarg. Eniledam notnef. Nnag'm zzro'm. leuqar nivre. Enimsaj notnef. Rennoc tnek. Simetra kcorc. Ahtnamas nosnam. Yllaw tsew. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. I nommus eht srewop dnuora em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac," Zatanna chanted but suddenly her surroundings felt different. She somehow sensed something had happened within her.

"I nommus eht srewop dnuonra em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. Annataz arataz. Leinad notnef. Mha'rudlak-" Zatanna stopped her chant and pulled herself out of her trance. She blinked and her gaze focused on where she was.

Zatanna saw Kaldur walking into a metal archway. Sam and Tucker were standing just outside, grinning excitedly. Zatanna frowned in confusion and walked over to Sam.

"Sam, what's going on? Why is Kaldur going in there?" Zatanna asked curiously but the girl didn't seem to hear her. Zatanna's confused frown deepened. She waved a hand in front of Sam's face before she realised something. Sam looked younger than normal. Tucker too. Suddenly there was a bloodcurdling scream of agony. Sam and Tucker's happy expressions faded into fear and shock.

"Danny," Sam whispered in complete horror. Zatanna blinked. Danny? She didn't see Danny anywhere.

Kaldur staggered out of the metal archway, which was now filled with swirling green energy. Zatanna gasped. That was the Fenton portal! Sam and Tucker snapped out of their shocked stupors and sprinted to Kaldur's side as his legs collapsed underneath him.

"Danny?! Are you okay!?" Sam shouted.

"We should call an ambulance," Tucker muttered fearfully. Suddenly Kaldur phased through their hands. Sam screamed in horrified shock.

"He's-he's a g-g-g-ghost. Tucker… we killed him," Sam whispered with dread. Kaldur groaned on the ground.

"He's not dead Sam! He's hurt! Real bad! So stop freaking out and-and I dunno, do first aid," Tucker retorted panicked.

"Why don't you do first aid!?" Sam snapped stressed.

"Because I'm terrified of nurses and never learned!" Tucker retorted. Kaldur groaned again on the ground and slowly lifted his head, putting a hand to his head.

"D-Danny?" Sam ventured.

"Sam? Tucker? What happened?" Kaldur muttered using Danny's voice. Zatanna gasped. Kaldur had replaced Danny during his accident with the Fenton portal. She didn't understand how, but this had to be a memory and that meant they were trapped in Danny's memory.

**So a few snippets of Danny's life. Some from the show, some from periods during this story. **

**But we don't know what happened to all the team…**

**And how are Valerie, Danielle and Garfield doing against the fake Huntress and snapping the team out of this memory world?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	116. Chapter 116

Zatanna watched as Tucker supported Kaldur who had taken Danny's place in this memory. Tucker led Kaldur upstairs to Danny's bedroom, Sam trailing behind them, wringing her hands worriedly. Tucker sat Kaldur on Danny's bed before running downstairs to the kitchen to get his friend a glass of water. Sam hovered by the door. Zatanna stepped in the room. She saw Kaldur glance at her. So he had an amount of ability to move as he wished as long as it didn't interrupt the memory.

"H-how do y-you f-feel D-Danny?" Sam asked shakily.

"Like crud. I hurt everywhere," Danny's voice groaned through Kaldur. Sam edged closer to the bed. Suddenly Kaldur phased through the bed and fell on to the floor. Kaldur with Danny's voice yelled in alarm. Sam ran forward worriedly and helped her friend out from under the bed. Tucker returned with a glass of water before blinking in confusion.

"What happened?" he inquired.

"D-Danny fell through the bed," Sam answered.

Kaldur looked up at them and frowned.

"What? How can you fall _through_ a bed?" Danny's voice questioned. Sam and Tucker shared fearful glances.

"D-dude. Er… don't you feel… weird or something?" Tucker ventured. Kaldur shook his head.

"Well, I hurt and I do feel a little cold but… I was just in a lab accident. I'm bound to feel a bit different right?" Danny answered through Kaldur. Zatanna made her way closer to the Atlantean trapped in the memory. She wanted to help, but how?

"D-Danny, m-maybe you s-should look in the m-mirror," Sam suggested. Kaldur blinked in confusion and unsteadily stood up and turned to the mirror.

He gasped in shock and ran as fast as he could to the mirror and stared in horror at his reflection. Zatanna blinked in surprise as she saw Danny's reflection as Danny Phantom.

"N-no. No-no-no! I'm-I'm a g-g-ghost! My parents! They _hate_ ghosts!" Danny yelled panicked, yanking on his glowing white hair.

"Danny calm down. They're your parents. They love you," Sam interjected.

"No! I can't be a ghost! I-I'm a Fenton! Fentons _hunt _ghosts," Danny retorted sharply. Suddenly a white band of light appeared around Kaldur's waist and split to glide over his body. Danny's reflection changed to his human self, wearing a white jumpsuit with black detailing. Sam and Tucker gasped in shock while Danny's reflection gaped at Kaldur.

"I'm not… a ghost," Danny whispered with stunned relief.

Zatanna grabbed Kaldur's arm and tried to pull him out of the memory. To her surprise and delight, Kaldur seemed to peel away from Danny leaving the memory intact and the Atlantean beside the magician, free.

"Thank you Zatanna. I was starting to fear that I would never escape this memory. Danny truly was terrified back then of his parents' reaction. And that accident… I've never felt such pain and terror," Kaldur muttered, shaken by the memory. Zatanna smiled and nodded uncertainly as Danny dropped onto his bed, drained from the entire event.

"How did you escape being put in a memory? Are the others trapped?" Kaldur asked after a few moments of recovery. Zatanna blinked in confusion.

"Er, honestly I don't exactly know what's going on let alone how you got trapped and I didn't," Zatanna admitted. Kaldur blinked in surprise before gasping in understanding.

"You were in a trance. You must have been knocked out of it when Recuerda cast that spell on Danny," Kaldur realised.

"What spell? And if it's on Danny, how are you here?" Zatanna questioned, thoroughly confused now.

"I have a theory. You'd be surprised how much time you have to think while trapped in a memory. Your spell connected our minds together by protecting them from Recuerda right? So what would happen if Recuerda breached that shield somehow? Maybe, whatever she does to Danny, we're involved. So she tries to go into Danny's memories, then we must have been pulled along for the ride and sealed into the memory as Danny. I just don't understand why you aren't trapped," Kaldur explained. Zatanna ran her fingers through her long black hair as she frowned in deep thought.

"Maybe because I'm a magician. We've seen that magic and ghosts don't work well together. Maybe she can't cast her ghost spells on me because of it. Or maybe because I'm casting the spell, it's strongest around me and I've been protected more," Zatanna theorised.

Kaldur nodded, ignoring Sam and Tucker who were fussing over Danny. Kaldur hummed in thought.

"How do we get out then? And if I'm right, then the others will be trapped in memories too," Kaldur wondered. Zatanna blinked before shrugging helplessly. Honestly she only freed Kaldur by trying and somehow succeeding, it was pure luck on her part. Kaldur watched as Sam and Tucker convinced Danny to at least tell his family he was involved in an accident in the lab. Just in case something happened again.

"Maybe we need to find them. Literally find them. Danny's memories might take place in different locations," Kaldur suggested. Zatanna shrugged in agreement, it was worth a try. Together they left the memory behind in Danny's room to head downstairs and then out of the house.

His head was pounding and his foot was throbbing and burning with agony. He put a hand to his head and groaned. Where was he? Conner opened his eyes slowly, almost reluctantly. The last thing he remembered was facing Recuerda but there was a second memory seeping through that he had been completely outnumbered and powerless to defend himself. He yelped when he shifted his position. Wherever he was, it was incredibly cramped. His vision finally cleared and what he saw caused his heart to skip a beat in fear. He was locked in a glowing green cage in a bright white lab. There was only one potential owner of this immaculately clean lab and that was the Guys in White. Conner frowned in confusion. Why was he so frightened of the Guys in White all of a sudden? He had no reason to fear ghost hunters. His gaze lowered from the terrifying room to his agonising foot and his jaw dropped in horror. It was completely mangled. No wonder it hurt so much. It looked like a building had been dropped on it. No, it looked like it had been put into a car crusher. Or… or phased into solid ground and turned tangible.

Conner gasped as he finally noticed something. He wasn't wearing jeans. In fact he was a lot thinner than he recalled. He was wearing a black jumpsuit with white boots and gloves while his entire body glowed softly. He scanned the lab, hoping to see a reflective surface nearby he could use as a mirror. Surprisingly, despite how clean the lab was, there wasn't anything he could use as a mirror nearby. Conner bit his lip and examined his body carefully while his aching head tried to put together the pieces. Then the answer clicked into place. This wasn't his body. It was a ghost and he only knew of one ghost that looked like he did now. He was Danny! How? He wasn't sure but he was willing to guess Recuerda was to blame.

The door on the far side of the lab opened and swung shut with an audible click. Conner turned to the person and gulped. What was he going to do? He was caught by ghost hunters. One of the things he had feared since the accident. Up there next to his parents finding out. He had to escape. If these people experimented on him, they could actually learn the truth about what he was. And if they knew what he was, it wouldn't be long before they found out who he was. Conner gripped his hair in despair. His world was falling part. He took a deep breath. No. He couldn't panic. Sam and Tucker would figure out what happened. They had to. And once they did, they'd come for him. They'd steal the Spectre Speeder and break him out. He knew it. He just had to hold on for a little while.

M'gann opened her eyes. It was dark and she was crouched beside Aqualad and Robin. They were in a loading bay outside a number of dilapidated warehouses. Suddenly, M'gann gasped and a stream of blue mist spilled from her mouth. She stared at it for a split second before she felt a rush of cold envelop her and she quietly rushed away from Kaldur and Robin.

"_Danny, what are you doing?!_" Aqualad hissed through the mind link.

"_Sorry Kaldur. But I can't let Dani trip this trap_," M'gann replied telepathically. She blinked in shock. These weren't her thoughts. They were Danny's. Before she knew what she was doing, she pointed her hand up to the sky, directly at a thirteen year old girl with white hair and glowing green eyes. She charged her hand with energy before slightly adjusting her aim so she would miss and fired.

"Woah! What the heck?" Danielle exclaimed and stopped in mid-air.

"No! Fly away Dani," M'gann whispered to herself with Danny's voice.

"Open fire!" a man shouted and around about twenty men in white suits revealed themselves. M'gann gasped with fear and worry as she saw a number of low powered ghosts surge towards the female halfa, blocking her escape.

"_Move in!_" Aqualad ordered over the mind link.

M'gann allowed her mind to drift while her body fired numerous ghost rays up towards the ghosts attacking Danielle. She knew where she was. To be fair, minds and memories weren't too unreachable for Martians. But this was different. She wasn't watching the memory. She had merged with it and she didn't know how to escape it. There had to be a way but she just couldn't think of it. Another problem was, she didn't know how this happened. They were facing a memory ghost. But Zatanna cast a spell to protect the team and Danny's loved ones. M'gann's eyes widened in realisation. The ghost breached the spell and is now using the spell against them. Before M'gann could ponder that further though, a low pitch noise sounded across the area and she fell to the ground in pain, clutching her ears. Flashes of labs and sadistic scientists swam before her eyes as she pulled a hand from her ear and pointed it towards the noise and fired.

**A few more team members and the memories they're trapped in.**

**Any guesses on other memories?**

**I'm sure you're seeing a trend that the memories are all bad or traumatic memories for Danny.**

**How will the team and Danny's loved ones cope with experiencing these memories?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	117. Chapter 117

Zatanna and Kaldur walked through the town, keeping a sharp eye out for anything unusual or familiar. Suddenly the air seemed to ripple around them and the previously empty streets filled with cars and bustling people. Above, a cloud of green ghosts sped through the air and Tucker Foley was flying after them, blasting stragglers back into the group before the ghosts could terrorise people below. Both members of Young Justice glanced at each other before chasing after the techno-geek. Obviously, Tucker was trapped as Danny during a ghost fight.

It didn't take long before they reached the edge of town. Zatanna and Kaldur gasped as they saw the group of ghosts turn around and face Tucker. A rippling green shield formed around Tucker as the group of ghosts surged towards the teen and viciously attacked him. The ghosts backed off once they realised that they couldn't get through the shield.

"What? I don't understand. I thought you guys were running away," Tucker muttered with Danny's voice.

"Not exactly. Surrender, you're surrounded," a male voice called. Zatanna and Kaldur gasped in realisation, recognising the memory as a man dressed in a white suit and sunglasses emerged from the foliage.

They saw Tucker lick his lips nervously and plaster on a cocky grin they'd seen on Danny many times in the past.

"Oh look, the ghost hunters that can't catch ghosts. Been a while," Tucker taunted. The suited man pulled out a large impressive weapon with a frown. Tucker yawned.

"That supposed to scare me?" Tucker asked, folding his arms calmly. The weapon gave a low whine as it charged.

"It should. Attack!" the man ordered and the ghosts charged forward, surprising Tucker, at the same time as the man fired his weapon and many other similarly dressed men appeared and also fired at Tucker.

"How are we gonna get Tucker out of the memory?" Kaldur wondered.

"We could always wait. We both know that Danny's gonna get trapped in the ground soon. We can get Tucker then," Zatanna suggested with a grim smile. Kaldur nodded in understanding. The two heroes turned to see Tucker get hit by one of the weapon blasts after getting beaten up by the ghosts. Tucker suddenly dropped in altitude with a cry of alarm. The teen stopped before he crashed into the ground though only for his hands to start glowing green. Tucker blinked in shock and aimed the ghost rays at the ghosts before he dropped again, missing his shot. Tucker fell to the ground and his foot turned intangible, sinking through the ground. Suddenly the teen screamed in agony, causing both spectators to flinch and the attacking men to grin in triumph.

Zatanna and Kaldur walked towards Tucker and together pulled the techno-geek out of the memory while the Danny left behind was beaten up by the ghosts, unable to fight back. Tucker gasped in surprise, clinging to Kaldur's shoulder as he recovered. The trio watched as Danny was knocked out and handcuffed with specialised cuffs. The memory faded around them.

"What happened?" Kaldur pondered aloud.

"My guess, that's the end of the memory. Good thing we got Tucker out of it. Who knows what would have happened if the memory faded while Tucker was still trapped," Zatanna theorised.

"Yeah, I don't think we want to know. We should find the others, quickly. Are you alright Tucker?" Kaldur agreed, turning to the techno-geek. Tucker swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Danny always seems so strong and brave but… he was terrified. I-I've never felt that kind of pain before," Tucker whispered, stunned by the experience.

Zatanna chewed her lip. She wanted to give Tucker the time and space to recover from such an ordeal but they had to find the others before one of them faded with a memory. They needed answers and Tucker knew Danny's past better than they did. At least before he was kidnapped. Both heroes could see exactly how shaken the techno-geek was but the clock was ticking.

"Tucker… do you know where the memory you just experienced started?" Zatanna ventured. Tucker was still clinging to Kaldur like a life-line but he turned to the magician and nodded.

"Yeah. It started near the Nasty Burger. I guess that's where I'd start with that memory too. It was where me, Sam and Danny first saw those ghosts. It was really weird seeing me from Danny's point of view," Tucker answered. Kaldur and Zatanna nodded in understanding.

"I was trapped in Danny's memory of the accident that gave him his powers," Kaldur informed the techno-geek. Tucker shuddered at his own memory of the accident.

"Damn, Danny's always said that was the most painful thing he's ever experienced. I-I never really realised how painful that was until now," Tucker muttered.

"Where did it start?" Zatanna wondered.

"We, well they really, were walking down into the lab," Kaldur replied. Tucker blinked and turned to the Atlantean, loosening his grip slightly as he turned his mind away from the traumatic experiences and to the problem at hand.

"You know, that's where'd I'd start when retelling the memory. Weird. Coincidence?" Tucker remarked.

"Doubt it. Can you think of any other noteworthy memories Recuerda might use to trap us in?" Zatanna asked. Tucker released Kaldur and put his hand to his chin in thought.

"One of Danny's worst memories is the whole thing with Clockwork. But I can't be sure where he'd start that. But my guess, Nasty Burger. He was edgy there for a full month after that," Tucker muttered thoughtfully.

"Alright then. Next stop, Nasty Burger," Zatanna decided.

Wally slowly opened his eyes. His head felt like cotton. Must have been hit really hard. He tried to sit up but he felt tight bands over his wrists and ankles, holding him in place firmly. He frowned. He didn't understand. He was just about to call to his friends when the door on the other side of the room swung open.

"Ah, you're awake. Now, creature… do you know what you did wrong?" the man in a white lab coat asked. Wally frowned in confusion. The scientist snapped his fingers in front of Wally's face.

"I'm talking to you creature," the man growled in annoyance.

"Wha-what did y-you put in me t-this time?" Wally groaned groggily. The teen didn't even notice that he spoke with another's voice. He couldn't concentrate on much else other than his cotton filled head and emerging nausea from the bright lights hurting his eyes.

Wally gasped as he was slapped across his face. Dazed, Wally turned back to the scientist.

"You do not ask questions," the scientist hissed. Wally blinked at the man as he turned to the side of the lab where a large plastic container was. It was filled with flowers but the lid was secured on top.

"You have caused one too many problems creature. If you won't submit to us willingly, we'll just have to destroy the fight left in you," the scientist commented. Wally scowled in confusion. He didn't understand what he was supposed to have done. Why did this man call him a creature? He was human, just like the scientist. Okay, he had super-speed, but he was still essentially human. Wally blinked as the scientist returned with a second container filled with green metal shards. He hadn't even noticed the man had walked away.

The scientist walked away once again and returned with a machine. The machine had a dial on the front and two wires leading to small plastic suction cups, which the scientist breathed on before sticking to Wally's chest. The cold caused the teen to shudder and gasp in surprise. The scientist didn't pay any attention to the teen though and placed the machine a safe distance away from the teen and began to turn the dial and tap on buttons. The scientist then opened the container of metal shards and took one out. Wally frowned at the man before yelling in pain as the scientist viciously stabbed the metal into his thigh. It burned! Wally screamed as more metal shards were stabbed into his body. He was shaking in pain when the shock of being stabbed dulled. He gulped fearfully as his mind slowly recovered from the cotton-filled state to a woozy haze of agony. The scientist then opened the first container filled with flowers. Red vapour seeped into the air and curled around Wally, causing the teen to hiss and flinch in discomfort. The scientist then emptied the box on top of the teen, causing the teen to shriek in agony once again. This was torture! Wally's eyes flew open as he realised something. It really was torture. It was a punishment for defying the scientists. They were torturing him.

"Next time you disobey us, maybe you'll think twice," the scientist snarled as he flipped a switch on the machine connected to the electrodes on Wally's chest. Wally spasmed as electricity raced through his body. Tears leaked out of his eyes and he panted for breath, clenching his teeth, hard enough to crack teeth, in agony. He distantly heard the door click shut before he realised that the scientist had left. The scientist was gone and he was in agony. Part of him wanted to beg the scientist to come back. But the other reasoned, they wouldn't leave him like this for long. They knew that this was torture. They wanted him to test on. They had to come back soon.

**Yep, I think it was obvious that someone would end up in that last memory. **

**But there's still a few others that we haven't seen.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	118. Chapter 118

Tucker led the way to the Nasty Burger. Zatanna and Kaldur followed half a step behind.

"Do you think everyone will be in such horrible memories?" Zatanna muttered. Kaldur glanced at Zatanna.

"I think it best to assume the worst. So probably," Kaldur admitted.

"Then that means Danny's been through hell. More than the Guys in White and the Light I mean. That accident… it was horrible to watch, let alone experience," Zatanna exclaimed. Kaldur frowned in remembrance.

"It was painful. And Danny was terrified. But I think it only made Danny stronger. Sometimes people have to suffer hardship in order to understand what needs to be done for the greater good," Kaldur replied.

"He half-died Kaldur!" Zatanna pointed out sharply.

"You know, Danny loves his ghost half now. I'd say he'd agree with Kaldur," Tucker interjected, glancing over his shoulder. Zatanna sighed, knowing that both of them were right.

"Any idea of memories Recuerda might use Tucker?" Zatanna asked instead. Tucker frowned.

"Depends what she looked for. Maybe she didn't even mean for us to get trapped here and we just had bad luck and got bad memories. Who knows? But if Recuerda purposefully put us in bad memories… then she'd use this one," Tucker answered.

"What is this memory?" Kaldur inquired.

"I'd rather not say. If I'm wrong, then I don't want to tell you guys anything Danny doesn't want you to know. Besides, Danny's never told us the specifics," Tucker decided.

"We're his team mates," Zatanna protested.

"Yeah, but this is solely Danny's business. It shouldn't come back to bite you guys outside his head. Like I said, Danny doesn't like talking about this," Tucker retorted.

Suddenly the air rippled around them and they turned the corner to hear a massive explosion. An oil truck was on its side and on fire. Robin was standing in front of the fire with a thermos clipped to his hip. Behind the boy wonder was the Nasty Burger with a massive hole in the wall and six people strapped to a massive metal vat.

"I hate it when I'm right," Tucker whispered in horror, staring at his memory self beside Sam. Robin turned around and began to walk towards the Nasty Burger, looking confident that his opponent had been beaten.

But a menacing figure emerged out of the flames, looking absolutely livid. The ghost was tall with flaming hair and a black and white jumpsuit with Danny Phantom's symbol proudly on display on the chest. The ghost had a metal belt around his waist that looked like a Fenton Works invention. Damaged by the fire, the ghost was easily able to pull the belt off his waist and grabbed Robin by the arm, throwing him to the ground aggressively.

"Your time is up, Danny. It's been up for ten years," the ghost snarled as he duplicated into four. The four individuals then began to beat up Robin from every angle.

"What makes you think you can change my past?" the ghost remarked smugly. Zatanna and Kaldur gasped, turning to Tucker who didn't look surprised.

"Because I promised my family!" Robin retorted with determination as he pushed himself up off the cracked tarmac. The apparent future Danny burst out laughing.

"Oh, you are such a child! You _promised_?" the future Phantom taunted.

"Yes! I promised!" Robin shouted as he got to his feet, his shout turning into a ghostly wail.

"What's going on Tucker?" Zatanna demanded as Robin chased after the ghost and began another ghostly wail, smashing the ghost and a vehicle into a building which collapsed seconds later.

"I don't know. I don't get why Danny never told us about this. I get it was a hard fight and it was close but…" Tucker retorted with confusion, gasping as he saw Danny's future self uncover himself from the rubble as Robin dropped to his knees, a white light gliding over the teen. The ghost was bruised and his outfit was torn.

"Well, that's it, isn't it?" the ghost commented seeing the exhausted teen.

"Time's up!" Robin replied and grabbed the thermos at his hip and sucked the ghost inside.

"To weak to escape- and you're too late to save them!" the ghost grunted as he fought the blue stream of energy pointlessly.

"Oh no," Robin gasped and turned to the Nasty Burger. He sprinted towards the building, white light flickering around his waist.

"I can't go ghost!" Robin exclaimed and tripped over debris from the heated ghost fight and fell to the ground. Robin looked up at the trapped six people.

"Noo!" Robin cried as the vat exploded.

Tucker's eyes widened in shock as Zatanna yelped in alarm and horror.

"I guess that's why he never talks about this," Kaldur mumbled. Suddenly everything froze and Clockwork, a ghost with a purple cloak and a clock in his chest, appeared. The newcomer placed a medallion around Robin's neck who was in mid-air from being thrown back by the explosion.

"Clockwork?" Robin greeted in confusion. Clockwork smiled at the teen and pointed towards six people safely engulfed in green energy.

"You saved them. I-I don't understand," Robin realised with delight and confusion. The three spectators made their way over the ruined street towards the boy wonder. Zatanna gasped as Clockwork and Robin began to move upwards and sprinted after the teen, jumping up and grabbing his ankle. Robin fell back down with Zatanna as the memory Danny flew up with Clockwork.

"Powers are overrated," Robin groaned on the ground.

Kaldur ran over and helped both his teammates to their feet with a smile.

"Are you alright?" Kaldur inquired.

"Yeah. But man that was an intense fight. Good thing that Clockwork stepped in," Robin confirmed.

"We're trapped in Danny's memories," Zatanna began to explain.

"I figured that much out. Which memories did you guys get stuck in?" Robin interrupted with a smile.

"Danny's accident when he got his powers," Kaldur immediately supplied.

"The day the Guys in White caught Danny," Tucker added.

"And I never got trapped in a memory. I figure it's because I was the one casting the spell," Zatanna concluded. Robin nodded.

"We better find the others then. Danny's been through a lot, no telling what they might be forced to endure," Robin decided.

Artemis opened her eyes and gasped in fear around a gag in her mouth. She was strapped down and in a lab. There were a number of scientists milling around the lab, most moving equipment or surveying clipboards. She turned her head to look at the cuff on her wrist and scowled. Glowing green. She looked down to check if it was the same on her ankles and blinked. She had a male body. She recalled Recuerda and quickly put the pieces together. She was trapped as Danny in his memories. Now she just had to figure out which memory and how to escape.

A scientist approached her and raised an eyebrow before snapping a breathing mask over her mouth and nose, removing the gag. Artemis glared at the scientist but she didn't dare speak. She had no idea what would happen if she interfered with the course of the memory. But a part of her, the part she realised was really Danny in the memory, was too afraid to speak. She could feel herself trembling and her heart was hammering in her chest. She watched warily as the mask was attached to a gas canister filled with oxygen.

"We're ready to start now," a scientist announced.

"Good. Control, oxygen. Set the timer," another scientist retorted, turning to a woman holding a stopwatch.

Five minutes passed. Artemis just lay there, unable to do anything but breathe in the oxygen and try and calm her thundering heart. She could feel Danny's panicking thoughts. He was terrified of what the scientists were going to do to him. To be honest, so was Artemis. She didn't know if what she experienced in the memory would affect her physically. A soft beep cut through the silence and Artemis glanced over to see the scientists scribbling notes on their clipboards. A new gas canister was placed beside the oxygen tank and the mask was attached to it instead. Artemis soon felt groggy as she breathed the new gas in. Five minutes later, the mask was strapped to the oxygen again and the scientists scribbled down their findings.

This continued for longer than Artemis could keep track of. Some gases had little to any effect on her, or rather Danny. However some gases made her nauseous or sleepy. Some hurt to breathe, making her try and hold her breath for as long as possible to alleviate the pain. But others seemed to choke her lungs. She would breathe them in before coughing and spluttering, once so much that the breathing mask was splattered with blood. But each gas was attached to her mask for five minutes before being replaced with oxygen while the scientists made their notes.

"That's the last gas canister we have," a scientist reported. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief as the oxygen filled her lungs, washing away the painful gas.

"Good, now we can move to the next experiment. Higher ups have records of ghosts that use music as a weapon. They want us to see if sound frequencies hurt ghosts," a scientist replied. Artemis gulped nervously.

**I think that's everyone now. **

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**How will everyone escape Danny's memories and how is Danny faring with Recuerda?**

**How are Valerie, Danielle and Garfield doing?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	119. Chapter 119

Finding Maddie was surprisingly easy. The whole town rippled, as the four teens were pulled into another memory, to be covered in ghostly plants. From there, Tucker led the heroes towards the hulking figure of Undergrowth.

"What happened after this?!" Robin shouted as they ran.

"No idea. We got caught and Danny escaped. I don't remember anything after that. No one but Danny does," Tucker replied.

"Two memories where we're blind. I don't like how this is going," Kaldur muttered as they rounded the corner and found Maddie flying in mid-air fighting a giant ghost made up of plants and a possessed Sam. Before their eyes, Maddie was grabbed by numerous thick vines and pulled down. Everyone gasped in alarm and ran forward but then they realised something. They were passing through the vines like they were intangible. The memory couldn't touch or hurt them.

"Let. Me. Go!" Danny's voice shouted. Then there was a blast of bright blue cold energy and the vines were frozen solid. Glowing blue, Maddie emerged from the hole.

"Bundle up. It's gonna get chilly," Maddie declared with determination.

Tucker laughed as Maddie flew off and blasted Undergrowth with ice energy.

"Guess I know what happened now," Tucker remarked. The four teens watched as Undergrowth was blasted into submission. The plants covering the town withered and the captive citizens were freed. Zatanna ran forward as Maddie landed and grabbed the woman's arm. The magician freed Maddie and the memory Danny, still glowing with ice energy, walked over to the memory Sam and Tucker. The memory halfa formed a beautiful ice crystal and gave it to Sam as the memory faded.

"Just in time," Kaldur breathed with relief. Maddie stared at the place her son had been standing, a proud smile on her lips.

"He really is a hero," the woman whispered.

"Huh?" Zatanna retorted in confusion.

Maddie shook her head and turned to the teen girl.

"Thank you for getting me out of that memory. Where are the others?" Maddie asked.

"We're working on finding them," Robin answered as the three boys joined the females. Maddie nodded.

"Are they trapped in memories too? And what about Danny?" Maddie inquired.

"We don't know what's going on with Danny. He might still be fighting Recuerda. But we think everyone in the spell but me is or was trapped in a memory," Zatanna explained.

"Then let's go find them," Maddie prompted and began to walk away.

"Are you sure you're okay Mrs Fenton? I mean our memories were… difficult to handle," Tucker ventured, running after the woman.

"Of course I'm alright Tucker. In fact… I'm glad I experienced that memory. My baby boy's all grown up. I'm sad that I missed it but I now understand that he doesn't always need or even want me to protect him. I'm so proud of him," Maddie replied, her eyes soft with love and pride as she remembered how well her son had handled himself in such a desperate time. He willingly stepped up to save his town and loved ones.

The teens glanced at each other in surprise but followed the woman without further question. As they walked through the once again intact town, they turned their thoughts to what they knew of Danny's past. Each memory had either a massive enemy or tragic ends. Sometimes even both. At least as far as they could see. They had no idea how to find the others without knowing Danny's full past, which they were beginning to realise was something only Danny knew. Black Canary probably knew a lot of it as did Tucker but Danny clearly kept a lot to himself at the same time.

As they walked, the world rippled around them and the sky darkened into night. The sounds of fighting could be heard as well as a low pitched noise that they recognised to hurt ghosts. Snapping out of their thoughts, they ran to the fighting and saw a large number of ghosts and Guys in White agents attacking the team and Danielle Phantom.

"Where's Danny? Every memory has had him in it," Zatanna muttered as she watched her memory self cast spells to hinder the girl halfa's attackers. Robin cupped his chin as he recalled the fight himself and snapped his fingers before pointing off to one side.

"Danny came running from that direction. He shut off the sound and then chased after the van," Robin reminded the others. The group of five ran towards where Robin pointed and saw a second M'gann on the ground, one hand clutching her ear while the other pointed at the source of the sound, firing green energy.

Robin reached the Martian first and attempted to grab the girl by the arm but his hand passed right through her body. He blinked and tried again.

"What's wrong?" Tucker called as the others caught up.

"I can't pull M'gann out of the memory," Robin exclaimed with alarm. Zatanna frowned and joined the boy wonder, grabbing the Martian's arm and pulled her away from the memory Danny as the machine was finally destroyed.

"Thank you. I didn't wish to watch Danny fall apart like last time," M'gann gasped gratefully.

"Fall apart?!" Maddie repeated with concern.

"He kinda had a break down after this happened. But he finally opened up to Black Canary after this too, so it did help him in the long run," Kaldur admitted. Maddie and Tucker glanced at each other but decided to let the matter drop. They watched as memory Danny struggled to his feet before running off to save Danielle.

"Are you alright?" Zatanna asked as she let her friend's arm go.

"I'm fine. What about you guys? I've already experienced Danny's fears and insecurities from his past because I'm a telepath. You haven't," M'gann assured them, glancing worriedly at the others.

"I never got trapped in a memory," Zatanna confessed.

"And we're dealing with it. I think it's best we focus on the task at hand rather than allow ourselves to focus on what Danny has been through," Kaldur replied. M'gann nodded and placed a hand to her temple.

"Without the spell, I can sense the others. I can lead you to them," M'gann announced.

"That's great!" Tucker cheered.

"Lead the way then M'gann," Kaldur agreed with a smile.

Danny struggled to push Recuerda away from him but he was also fighting flashbacks of some of his worst memories and the powerful feelings they evoked. In particular fear. He was physically trembling and his ice powers were bursting to escape his control. He knew if he allowed himself to fall into those memories, Recuerda would win. He peeked through one eye at the memory ghost. She was grinning excitedly, her eyes flashing with greed. She was the only thing he could see, other than his past flashing across his closed eyelids. He grunted as he struggled against Recuerda's vice grip on his shoulders.

"Fight all you like halfa. You can't win. I will take your memories and then I'll take the rest of those hunters' memories," Recuerda gloated gleefully.

"No. I-I wo-won't let you," Danny whimpered, hating how weak he sounded. He knew, and Recuerda knew, he was on the verge of numerous panic-attacks. His fear was intoxicating and it was close to overwhelming him.

While Danny had recovered a large amount, he still had insecurities. He could now face Garfield as a gorilla without his heart thundering fearfully in his chest, but he had yet to meet an actual gorilla and certainly not Monsieur Mallah. He hadn't been able to deal with his fear of the Brain yet as he hadn't recalled the robotic scientist fully, but he was dealing with his fear of French accents. He had conquered his fear of using his ghostly wail as far as he was concerned, and of using the rest of his powers, but flashing back to his memories, those fears were returned full force. Those feelings became his own. But one fear that was exceptionally difficult to conquer was his fear of confinement. This fear didn't need Recuerda to remind him of past events to renew. He had learned to accept hugs again and wearing seatbelts in cars. But in those situations, if he really couldn't handle it, he could remove the restriction. But he couldn't remove Recuerda or escape the claustrophobic black aura around them. He was scared and he was trapped. He needed help but part of him knew that help was a long way off yet.

Outside the black aura, Valerie and Danielle had tried to fight the memory Valerie while trying to free Danny. However every attack to the black aura did nothing but release a new enemy. Garfield was on the ground fighting off mutant ghost experiments Vlad had once used to attack Danny and his mother in Colorado. The memory Valerie had been joined by a warped version of the Box Ghost and a shadowy version of Spectra. The Box Ghost wore an eyepatch and had a hook for a hand. And alarmingly, the Box Ghost actually looked and sounded menacing with scars and a deep haunting voice. Spectra mostly attacked Danielle though, hissing remarks that had the girl questioning herself, hindering the halfa's ability to defend herself, let alone fight.

Valerie threw an ecto-grenade at her memory self and frowned to herself. Was she really that… hateful and unreasonable? This version of herself attacked for blood, screaming death threats and vows to destroy her enemy. It was… unnerving. Valerie had never realised how terrible she sounded. She was starting to understand why her ghost fighting persona didn't get much air time on the news. While she only attacked ghosts, her bloodlust was obvious. And the worst thing was… she knew that this was a true representation of how others would see her. Her fighting style was the same. Her voice spoke with the same anger and arrogance she held during her earlier days of ghost hunting. She even shouted in pain and cursed her attacker when she got hit. Unfortunately, the memory Valerie was an exceptionally gifted fighter and it was hard to get a hit in.

On the ground, Garfield was starting to realise that training against Black Canary and the others in the Cave, was a lot different to fighting opponents out for blood. He did want to join the team, but he wasn't so sure if he was ready anymore. However his training had helped him. He could change his form within seconds. He charged through the ghostly mutants as a rhino before shifting into a ferret and outwitting the hulking form of a bear with four arms. He was fast and his forms gave him power, but… he wasn't able to figure out how to defeat these creatures. He was merely occupying the beasts until back-up could arrive. That meant, with Danielle fighting the memory Spectra and the Box Ghost, Valerie fighting her memory self and the Box Ghost and Garfield fighting a small army of mutant ghost monsters… the team was on their own.

**So that's what's going on outside the memory world that the team and Danny's loved ones ae trapped inside.**

**How will they escape and will they cope with the memories they've witnessed from Danny's past?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	120. Chapter 120

With M'gann to guide their group, they quickly found other trapped teammates. Raquel was trapped in Danny's memory of his captivity with the Light. In fact the teens and Maddie found Raquel the same time a memory Robin, Conner, M'gann and Artemis found the memory Danny. They used the calm memory to experiment who could pull the trapped people out of the memory. Only Zatanna was successful.

They found Jazz soon afterwards and they were all shocked to see Jazz curled into a tight ball, rocking back and forth muttering to herself while shadows hissed insults. Maddie gasped worriedly and rushed forward to comfort her daughter, forgetting that this was actually a memory of her son's. However, Maddie's arms couldn't even hold her child. Zatanna rushed forward and pulled the red-headed girl out of the memory while the others glanced at the shadows filling the room.

"So this is what Danny saw," Tucker mumbled.

"Yeah. They were in my memory too. Danny actually started to believe them and… they had convincing arguments too," Raquel muttered. Robin glanced at the girl. They could all see that Raquel had been shaken by the memory she endured.

Jazz shuddered as Maddie clutched her daughter, whispering reassurances.

"I'm alright mom. I know these aren't my thoughts," Jazz assured her mother and pulled away, flashing the woman a calm smile. The teen then turned her gaze to the shadows and frowned.

"But, I didn't realise things were this bad for Danny," Jazz remarked to herself.

"You should have seen him when these guys saved him from the Light," Tucker commented. Jazz blinked.

"How long was this after his rescue?" Jazz wondered, turning to the heroes.

"Um, a few days," Kaldur answered. Jazz's eyes widened in surprise.

"No wonder those comments affected him so strongly. But Danny's past this. Let's go. There's no point staying here. I'm assuming the rest are somewhere else, maybe in other memories like this one," Jazz decided. The teens nodded and Jazz gently took Maddie's hand, the mother transfixed with horror by the image of her traumatised son breaking down.

"Mom, this is in the past. He's better now," Jazz whispered reassuringly and gently but insistently pulled the woman away from the memory.

M'gann bit her lip and put her hand to her temple as she opened her telepathic senses and searched for another familiar mind. She gasped as she found Conner.

"I found Conner. This way!" M'gann announced, worried for her boyfriend after seeing how different memories had seriously affected her friends, in particular Raquel. The others raced after M'gann as she ran towards her boyfriend. Their surroundings rippled yet again and the Mount Justice cave shifted in to a blinding white corridor. M'gann spotted a pair of men dressed in white running into a lab and followed them.

Hunched in a cage was Conner. He looked horrified as the two men joined another two similarly dressed men. The cage door swung open and Conner scrambled back to escape the men reaching in to grab him, but it seemed that his ankle was injured.

"What is this?" Tucker mumbled in confusion.

"I think… this is when the Guys in White found out Danny was a halfa," Robin guessed with a frown. Together, two of the Guys in White agents dragged Conner out of the cage.

"No! Let me go!" Danny's voice exclaimed, filled with panic.

"Get the table ready Kev!" one of the men grunted as they held onto the struggling teen. One of the men not holding Conner ran to a table and opened four glowing green cuffs in the corners. The third man rushed forward to help restrain Conner and together the three men lifted the thrashing teen into the air and roughly dropped him on the table. They instantly locked the cuffs over Conner's wrists and ankles.

"What the hell is this thing? That's no disguise," one man wondered, gasping for breath after the struggle.

"No idea. But we're gonna find out," another man retorted, meanwhile Conner gritted his teeth and franticly pulled on the restraints as his wide fearful eyes darted between the men.

Zatanna rushed forward, having had enough of watching her friend in such distress, and grabbed Conner's forearm. She tugged on the teen's arm and pulled the clone away from the memory Danny. Zatanna left a steadying hand on the Kryptonian's shoulder as Conner regained his composure.

"I have never felt fear like that," Conner breathed, shaking from the memory of such terror. M'gann edged closer to her boyfriend and pulled him into a reassuring embrace which Conner eagerly accepted. As the memory faded around them, one of the men that had wrestled Danny onto the table, picked up a phone and began to inform his superiors that something strange was going on.

To their surprise, they didn't have to move to enter another memory. As the memory Conner was trapped in faded, another memory rippled into being. M'gann, Zatanna and Conner were startled as they heard an agonised cry of pain and fear right beside them. Strapped to the table was Artemis and her ears were bleeding. Zatanna gasped in shock and instantly grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her out of the memory. Artemis dropped to her knees crying. She hugged her chest as though in terrible pain. The others gasped in alarm and ran to the archer, Robin and Kaldur dropping to her sides.

"Artemis what's wrong?! Are you hurt!?" Robin exclaimed. Artemis shook her head. She wasn't in pain anymore. But the memory of such pain lingered. The others glanced up at the scientists gathered in the room, scribbling on clipboards while the memory Danny sobbed in pain and terror.

"What are they doing to him?" Tucker whispered, staring at the memory of his friend. Tucker knew Danny got scared. But the halfa always refused to show it to his enemies. That meant for the halfa to be acting so distressed in front of these scientists, things had to be terrible.

"They-they experimented o-on him. Th-they made him breathe gases that hurt him, choked him. They e-exposed him to different s-sound frequencies. N-now they're experimenting w-with d-drugs. H-hallucinogenics," Artemis revealed shakily. She was gradually calming down from the memory. She knew the Guys in White had subjected Danny to experimentation. But it was completely different when she saw, let alone experienced, what those experiments were like. These monsters were sadistic. They ignored Danny's pain. They even ignored him when he was obviously having difficulty breathing. They only shut off the sound when Danny's screams grew hoarse and his ears began to bleed. The word experimented doesn't cover what those people did to the halfa. They tortured him. Physically, emotionally and mentally. And Artemis knew that things got even worse than this memory displayed. Danny was wearing a gag which meant he had been forced into being submissive to these scientists through a torture that drove the teen to the brink of insanity.

"It's coming out of it now. Anything else for today?" a scientist announced, attracting everyone's attention. Another scientist scanned his clipboard and shook his head.

"Nope that's everything," the scientist concluded.

"Good, I'm ready to call it quits. I'm starving," one scientist remarked. Artemis glared hatefully at that particular scientist. The young man had complained about missing lunch before the experiments began.

"Me too. Sedate that thing and we can go get some dinner," another scientist retorted with a smile. Maddie, Jazz and Tucker glanced from the memory Danny, panting tiredly, to the approaching scientist with a syringe of sedative. The scientist injected the liquid into the halfa's arm and then placed an IV line into the teen's arm. The scientists then began to file out of the lab as the memory faded, signalling Danny falling into unconsciousness.

Out of the darkness another memory rippled into being. This one forced everyone to grab their ears in shock. Piercing screams filled the memory. Sam was now on the table, strapped down with a man in a white lab coat, leaning over her while a second man handed tools to the first. Her chest had been cut open showing internal organs. Tucker immediately vomited in horror. Zatanna spun around, swallowing her own vomit down to grab the Goth's shaking arm and pulled her free of the memory. The Goth was replaced by Danny, the blood turning green. Sam's chest was no longer cut open but she was shaking in shock, her face unnaturally pale. She instantly collapsed to her knees, sobbing. Artemis, still on her knees, scrambled over to the Goth and grabbed the girl, pulling her into a tight, reassuring hug. Jazz tore her eyes away from the memory of her brother and dropped down beside Sam.

"It's alright Sam. You're safe now. Danny's safe now. It's just a bad memory," Jazz muttered soothingly, stroking the Goth's short black hair to comfort the distressed girl. Despite Sam's usual no contact policy, she clutched onto the archer like a life-line, sobbing loudly.

"Maybe we should move away from this," Kaldur suggested, glancing at the gory memory with distaste.

"We can't," M'gann mumbled, watching Sam with pity, clinging to Conner as the clone stared in horror at the memory.

"Why?" Raquel croaked, flinching as the memory Danny wailed in agony as the scientist did something.

"Because Wally's here too. Going by what's been happening, he'll probably show up when this memory ends," M'gann explained. Maddie tore her horrified gaze from her son and edged over to Tucker who was retching loudly a few feet away from the table. Maddie knelt beside the techno-geek and rubbed calming circles on the teen's back. Robin gently helped Sam to her feet and together, Jazz and the boy wonder guided her away from the table. Jazz then replaced Artemis's place hugging the Goth.

Robin returned to his team as Artemis struggled to her feet, stopping beside Kaldur.

"Kaldur, maybe we should split up. At least until after we get Wally. They can't handle this. I mean, it's hard for us and we're de-sensitised to such terrible things. If Wally's in a memory from this time period… well we know it's not gonna be a happy time," Robin reasoned. Kaldur bit his lip and scanned the four non-team members. Tucker was dry-retching still, nothing left in his stomach, while Sam was still hysterical. Jazz and Maddie were calmest, but Kaldur could see that both Fenton women were only staying strong for the younger teens.

"I would be inclined to agree with you Robin, but I don't like the idea of splitting up again so soon after the trouble it took to find each other," Kaldur pointed out.

**So nearly everyone's together but how will they escape this weird memory world Recuerda trapped them in?**

**How will Wally be after being stuck in the memory of Danny's punishment?**

**Until the next chapter. **


	121. Chapter 121

The team were trying to decide who to send with the non-team members out of the memory when the screaming stopped. The scientists had lazily stitched Danny's torso back together and replaced the IV line in the halfa's arm.

"Knock it out and we can go have a break before writing those reports," one of the men remarked, cleaning the utensils used during the experiment. The other scientist nodded and grabbed a syringe and a bottle of slightly blue tinged liquid.

"How much are we meant to give it again?" the scientist asked as he pushed the needle into the bottle seal.

"Hmm? Oh that one. I think they said 15ml but don't worry if you go a bit over. That thing can handle it," the first scientist answered. The team scowled at the memory but knew they could do nothing to stop the scientist injecting the solution into the obviously exhausted halfa. Tucker was gradually calming down and Sam had stopped crying by now but was still very upset by what she endured.

The memory faded and once again was replaced by another. As M'gann guessed, Wally replaced the memory Danny on the table. Robin, M'gann and Kaldur simultaneously gasped in horror, recognising the memory with ease despite the lack of screaming. Zatanna quickly grabbed Wally's arm and pulled him out of the memory. Wally dropped limply to the ground, mumbling to himself, his eyes wide. He looked like his mind had shattered. Robin and Kaldur glanced to each other while M'gann and Artemis dropped down to the speedster's side. Artemis tried to get his attention while M'gann telepathically reassured the teen. The team knew what this memory was and how much it had affected Danny, who was spasming soundlessly on the table as electricity raced through him. This was the punishment Danny endured at the hands of the Guys in White after accidentally using his ghostly wail. This torture drove Danny to near insanity and then later, after it was replicated, did break the teen's mind.

"He's not listening to me," M'gann announced.

"How did Danny survive all this?" Raquel whispered, staring fearfully at Wally.

"I don't know but we need to get out of these memories," Kaldur decided, glancing at Conner. Nervously, Conner knelt down and pulled the incoherent speedster into his arms. Artemis hovered beside the clone, muttering soft comments to her boyfriend. As they turned to collect the others and leave, a man entered the room wearing white clothes. He strolled to the machine connected to the electrodes and turned it off. He pulled the electrodes off Danny's chest roughly and yanked the shards of ectoranium out of the halfa's body.

"Have you learned your lesson creature?" the man growled as he dropped the last Blood Blossom into a container before throwing a match in, setting the anti-ghost flowers alight. Danny's exhausted, glazed eyes drifted to the man talking to him. The man snarled and punched a stab wound, Danny silently screamed in agony.

"Answer me!" the man demanded. Danny opened his mouth but no sound came out. The man blinked before realising that the teen had lost his voice. He shrugged to himself.

"Whatever, we've got plenty of those flowers if you haven't," the man commented before grabbing a syringe and sedating the teen.

The memory faded into nothing, leaving the team and Danny's loved ones in a black void.

"Where are we now?" Raquel whispered. Kaldur turned to M'gann. She nodded and closed her eyes in concentration. She frowned and shook her head.

"I'm not sure," M'gann muttered. Kaldur put a hand to his chin in thought before Robin snapped his fingers.

"Zatanna, you seem to be the one in control of where we are or where we go. So if you're in control, not Recuerda, you should be able to get us all out of this weird memory world," Robin theorised.

Zatanna blinked before nodding slowly. It made sense. It was her spell that connected everyone to Danny before Recuerda attacked the halfa. The memory ghost probably didn't even mean to pull everyone into Danny's memories. So if Recuerda didn't do this purposefully, it must have been the spell. And they already knew that only Zatanna could escape the memories or pull others out of them. Zatanna sat on the ground cross-legged and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and focused on her magic.

"Etarapes ruo sdnim morf leinad notnef. Eerf su morf sih tsap," Zatanna chanted. As the magician chanted, the others began to fade from the black void.

Danny hated how weak he sounded as he whimpered in fear. Recuerda had his shoulders in a vice-like grip. He tried to channel his powers into his hands, but all that happened was his ice powers surged out of his control and he nearly flash-froze himself. He instantly stopped the power and focused on repressing his ghost powers again. Instead, he moved his hands up to Recuerda's wrists and tried to squeeze hard enough to get her to let go. The problem was his entire body was shaking with fear to the point that he could barely control his fingers, let alone hurt the ghost holding him. Recuerda cackled with dark amusement.

Releasing one shoulder, Recuerda grabbed onto one of his hands and squeezed his trembling fingers with ease. Danny cried out in pain as he felt one of his fingers break under the memory ghost's grasp. The pain made focusing even harder than before. He could feel terrified tears rolling down his cheeks as the horrible memories and past emotions crashed down on him once again. He just had to get her to stop forcing his past on him. If he could get a minute to regain his composure, he knew he'd be able to fight off the ghost. But if things continued, something would have to give. And that something would either be his mind or his powers. If he lost control of his powers, he knew it would beat Recuerda but he feared what the consequences could be. He might kill himself. He might kill his friends and family that had to be trying to help him somehow. He might freeze over all of Amity Park which could kill hundreds of people. But if he lost his fight with Recuerda for his memories, then she would become even stronger and he might be left with complete amnesia, unable to fight the ghost.

Danny gritted his teeth to stop them chattering with the building cold in his chest and growled as he weakly kicked at the ghost. Recuerda yelped in pain but she didn't let up. Danny gasped as his fingers began to be covered with frost and pushed down the building cold further.

"You can't win halfa. Just let go," Recuerda taunted.

"N-not w-what I d-do. I push f-forward, d-despite the f-fear," Danny mumbled. Recuerda raised an eyebrow in surprise at that comment before yelping again as Danny kicked at her shins. Recuerda viciously kneed Danny in the groin. Danny exclaimed loudly in pain and curled up slightly into a ball.

"I suggest you stop kicking me, or I'll kick you again," Recuerda snarled in his ear. Eyes watering, Danny nodded shakily in understanding.

Danielle bit her lip as she dodged a blue box of energy that was thrown at her by the memory Box Ghost. She threw a wild ghost ray at Spectra.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" the halfa screeched desperately. The clone was at her wit's end with the numerous insults and judgemental comments on being a copy of Danny Phantom and being stuck between being a ghost and a human, not belonging with either. The ghost ray missed its target and hit the black ball of energy encasing Recuerda and Danny. A grey light shot out of the black blob and created a new memory. This time it was a Guys in White agent holding a large impressive weapon. The Guys in White agent fired at Danielle. The halfa gasped in surprise and dodged the shot.

"Dani!" Valerie scolded. Valerie, Garfield and Danielle had figured out that attacking the black aura protecting Recuerda and Danny as they struggled against each other, only meant increasing their own enemies.

"Sorry!" Danielle yelled back as she blasted the memory Box Ghost back.

Valerie chased her memory self through the air, pausing only to throw an ecto-grenade at the Box Ghost. Danielle was getting overwhelmed. The new memory seemed to only attack Danielle, which made sense as it was a ghost hunter. But that didn't explain why her memory self was attacking her. Valerie blinked before rolling her eyes. Actually, it did. This new suit had a soft ghostly glow. It was a side effect of being made by Technus and being imbued with ectoplasm. The memory probably figured that Valerie was a ghost. But then again, the memory hadn't once gone after Garfield and he was green. Maybe… it depended on who hit the aura. The Box Ghost roared and chased after Valerie.

Garfield grunted as his bull form was smacked away by a bear mutant ghost. He toppled to the ground tiredly. He panted for a second before staggering to his feet again. He couldn't afford to stop. If he stopped, these memory ghosts would overwhelm him. He changed into a snake and slithered into the grass and tripped a savage-looking wolf ghost thing. He considered biting the creature but decided against it. He didn't want to kill anything. Besides, he wasn't sure if his animal-shifting ability gave him such things as venom. He also didn't know if the ghost creatures, memory or not, could be hurt by snake venom. The green snake glanced over to where M'gann lay in the grass. One of the first things Garfield had done was check on his adoptive sister. Then he had moved the unconscious team and Danny's loved ones to a safe place, making sure to keep his distance for their protection. The memories seemed to be attacking only Garfield, Valerie and Danielle. Which was good. Garfield shape shifted into a bird and took to the sky, diving at a large rabbit thing with dagger-like teeth.

**Will Zatanna be able to free everyone trapped in the memory world?**

**Will Danny be able to defeat Recuerda and keep in control of his powers?**

**Will Valerie, Danielle and Garfield keep their enemies at bay?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	122. Chapter 122

The first thing they noticed was the sound of animals fighting, then they heard small explosions above. Superboy opened his eyes and flinched at the bright sunlight before blinking in the sight above them. A large mass of black energy floated in mid-air while the Red Huntress chased after a similar girl and Danielle Phantom fought off a shadow ghost and a Guys in White agent shooting up at the halfa. Turning his head towards the animal sounds, Superboy saw a green bird change into a green elephant which stampeded through a large number of mutant glowing creatures. The clone turned his head the other way and saw the others opening their eyes and gathering their bearings, all except Kid Flash and Sam that was. The speedster only opened his eyes in order to resume muttering to himself, albeit more frantic than before. Sam just hugged herself and began crying silently again.

"What are they doing here?" Rocket asked, scowling at Danielle and Garfield.

"We have _got_ to ghost-proof the Bioship," Robin groaned.

"We can shout at them later. For now we need to find Danny. M'gann," Aqualad interjected. Miss Martian nodded dutifully and opened her telepathic senses before pointing at the black mass of energy.

"He's there. But he needs our help. His mind's clouded with fear, too much for me to connect with him," Miss Martian muttered. Aqualad nodded. The Atlantean let his gaze drift over Kid Flash and Sam. Neither would be able to fight. He then glanced at Tucker, Jazz and Maddie. They also looked emotionally drained.

"Tucker, Jazz, Maddie. Protect Sam and Kid Flash. We'll handle the rest. Rocket, Miss Martian, fly up there and help Danielle and Red Huntress. Artemis, Superboy, help Gar. Zatanna, Robin, you're with me. We're going to try and get through that shield," Aqualad delegated.

Superboy and Artemis sprinted off to help Garfield while Rocket and Miss Martian flew up to help Danielle and Valerie. Aqualad turned to Robin.

"What do you make of that energy?" Aqualad asked. Robin hummed before he pulled out a birdarang and threw it up to the black energy. The weapon hit, triggering a grey light to erupt out and form a memory of Joker who sniggered happily before strolling over to Robin.

"Hit the shield and it creates a memory. Judging from all the memories here, they're all from Danny," Robin theorised.

"So we can't hit the barrier," Aqualad realised. Robin nodded as he pulled a bo staff from his utility belt and hit Joker casually but hard enough to send the clown sprawling to the ground.

"Good thing Danny didn't get much fighting done with the Joker or it might have been a lot harder to defeat this guy," Robin remarked as he dropped a pellet on the clown which exploded and covered the clown in sticky goo which hardened within seconds.

"Alright, then we can't use force. But maybe I can use magic to form a door for us," Zatanna suggested. Aqualad nodded his approval. Zatanna turned her gaze to the black energy sphere and began whispering backwards words, creating a network of spells designed to gently tease the energy apart to form an opening. Aqualad glanced at Robin.

"You wouldn't happen to have a tranquiliser in that utility belt?" Aqualad wondered. Robin blinked before he pulled out a small pouch containing three darts, filled with sedative.

"Will they work on Danny?" Aqualad asked. Robin frowned.

"Maybe, but it won't last long. Why? Surely we'd need him seeing as he knows what he's doing," Robin questioned.

"Remember what happens when Danny gets overwhelmed by fear? He starts freezing everything. If Recuerda pushes him too far, he could be more dangerous than helpful. Especially since M'gann already told us that Danny's mind is clouded with fear," Aqualad clarified. Robin nodded in understanding.

"Gotcha. If we actually want to knock him out for more than a minute or so, I'll need to use all three darts. Also, Batman figures that Danny might have built up an immunity or tolerance for certain sedatives due to the Guys in White using them all the time," Robin warned.

"Do what you must," Aqualad concluded.

While Zatanna concentrated on the black energy, Superboy charged and tackled a ghost bear with four arms that was about to swipe Garfield from behind. Garfield yelled in surprise before shifting into a gorilla and flashing the clone a nervous grin.

"Before you say anything, it was Dani's idea," Garfield remarked before punching at a ghost wolf. Artemis fired an arrow and the savage rabbit monster mutant ghost collapsed to the ground and began to melt into a green gooey puddle.

"That's disgusting," Artemis muttered.

"Glad you guys are awake by the way," Garfield called.

"You do realise that Batman's going to ground you and Dani. And if he doesn't, Danny and M'gann will," Artemis retorted, sparing the green gorilla a glance before firing an arrow at another ghost mutant.

"Yeah. But we wanted to help. It's a good thing we did come though. That ghost hunter up there would have been overwhelmed ages ago if not for us," Garfield pointed out. Superboy grunted in response as he punched the bear mutant.

Above Miss Martian flew up to Valerie and sent a telekinetic blast at the memory Box Ghost, causing the ghost to crash into the ground below and fade out of existence.

"Thanks but he wasn't a big deal!" Valerie called over her shoulder, noticing the Martian. Miss Martian nodded as Valerie flew to her side.

"How can I help?" Miss Martian asked. Valerie was bound to know how to defeat this memory of a girl, after all she had been fighting the memory.

"Not sure. This fight is really weird seeing as she's kinda like my evil twin," Valerie remarked. Miss Martian raised an eyebrow at the ghost hunter.

"I used to hunt Phantom all the time. At least, before I met Dani. That's what I used to be like. At least, I think I'm better now," Valerie elaborated reluctantly. Miss Martian nodded, she knew most of that since Danny and Danielle had told the team of Valerie.

"Maybe I can beat her using my telepathy," Miss Martian suggested and Valerie shrugged in response before forming a rippling pink shield around both teens as the memory launched a rocket at Valerie. Miss Martian reached out her mental powers and found the memory. She frowned at the complex mind filled with rage before she shoved brutally and crushed the memory's mind. The memory faded with a cry of agony. Valerie blinked and turned to the Martian.

"Remind me never to tick you off," Valerie mumbled with a touch of fear.

Meanwhile Rocket sped up to help Danielle. Unfortunately the heroine wasn't fast enough and Danielle was hit by the blasts fired from below. She yelled in pain before screaming as her flight failed and she fell towards the ground. Rocket gasped and tried to catch the girl but the halfa flickered intangible unexpectedly and her hands began to glow bright green. The shadow ghost flew down and grinned maliciously, pointed teeth glinting.

"Such a failure," the ghost tutted. Danielle tried to aim her glowing hands as she fell but she suddenly stopped falling, making her aim wrong. Her blasts fired, sailing above Spectra's head harmlessly. Rocket turned to the ghost and fired a bolt of kinetic energy at her. The ghost hissed as the blast hit her squarely in the chest.

While Rocket fought Spectra away from Danielle, the halfa struggled to regain control of her powers. She yelped in alarm as a blast of ghost energy erupted from her foot narrowly missing Superboy below. Superboy looked up in time to see Danielle's flight cut out again. He gasped in alarm and using his impressive strength, he jumped up and caught the girl and safely placed her on the ground. Danielle mumbled her thanks before she shrieked in surprise as her leg turned invisible and her arm turned intangible, causing her to fall over. Superboy's eyes widened in alarm and he caught the girl before his eyes spotted the Guys in White agent pointing his gun at Danielle. Superboy growled protectively and used his own body to shield the halfa as the memory fired another blast from his gun. Artemis quickly took aim and fired an arrow at the agent, catching him in a net.

Superboy turned back to Danielle as her limbs returned to normal.

"Can you change back to human? It might cancel the gun's affects," Superboy asked, realising what had happened to Danielle from knowing what happened to Danny. Danielle took a deep breath and attempted to do just that before her green eyes welled up with panicked tears.

"N-no. I-I have no control. I can't change back!" Danielle realised fearfully. Superboy bit his lip, he had feared as much. In the memory he was trapped in, Danny had regularly thought about the gun's affects and had tried numerous times to use his powers to escape. However the gun seemed to repress all his powers, including his ability to change forms. Danielle squeaked as her foot turned intangible but Superboy grabbed the girl and pulled her foot out of the ground before she was injured.

"You have to sit out. You can't fight like this. I'll take you over to the others and they can watch over you," Superboy decided and led her across the battlefield to where Sam, Tucker, Maddie, Jazz and Kid Flash were. Danielle frowned worriedly at Sam and Kid Flash.

"What happened to them?" she whispered.

"Let's just say that Danny has some very disturbing memories that they're finding hard to cope with," Superboy replied.

Tucker stood up and met Superboy a short distance from the others.

"I saw what happened. I'll keep an eye on Dani," Tucker volunteered.

"Thanks but are you sure you'll be able to," Superboy replied. Tucker snorted.

"You're looking at the guy Danny used to shoot ghost rays at before he got control of them. Plus, I got trapped in Danny's memory of what happened. It was horrible," Tucker answered, his bespectacled eyes glazing as he recalled the fear and pain Danny had experienced in that memory. Superboy pursed his lips and nodded in understanding. Each memory obviously had a profound effect on them, some more severe than others. Tucker gently took Danielle's arm and led her over to sit with him near Sam, who Maddie was cradling in her arms, whispering reassurances in the Goth's ear. Jazz was trying to snap Kid Flash out of his stupor while also trying to make sense of what he was mumbling.

Superboy turned around, confident that Tucker could watch over Danielle, and surveyed the fights. Valerie and Miss Martian had gone to help Rocket fight Spectra while Artemis and Garfield were slowly overcoming the small army of mutant ghost animals. Superboy jogged over to Aqualad, Zatanna and Robin.

"Danielle got hit by that gun the Guys in White used on Danny when they caught him. Tucker's looking after her," Superboy reported.

"Zatanna's almost broken through that energy. Be ready. We don't know what's inside," Aqualad informed the clone with a nod. The Atlantean scanned the area and saw the three girls above overpower the shadowy memory, causing it to fade into nothing. Garfield and Artemis had almost beaten the rest of mutant ghosts. Zatanna shouted one last spell and the black energy cleaved in two. A blast of cold air swept over the area, stunning the fighting teens.

**Has Danny managed to keep his powers under control or has Recuerda won!?**

**Will they defeat Recuerda? If they do, how?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	123. Chapter 123

He was losing. His ice powers were surging out of his control and he couldn't hold it back anymore. He needed Recuerda to stop. He needed to regain control. He forced his froze eyelashes apart and peeked at Recuerda. She didn't seem to notice how cold the air was, let alone that her hands were frozen to his shoulders. Suddenly the darkness was destroyed by sunlight. Danny gasped in surprise at the sudden light. Recuerda hissed in alarm and turned from him. This was all he needed. He gulped and forced down his ice powers as much as possible and kicked the ghost viciously in the stomach. The ice on the memory ghost's hands shattered as she was forced away from him. Free, Danny fled out of the blackness and into the air outside. He didn't spare a glance below him before he rocketed up as high as he dared and let out a blast of ice energy with a scream.

Valerie, Rocket and Miss Martian gasped in alarm as they were forced to the ground before getting hit by the pulse of blue energy. Aqualad and Robin breathed a sigh of relief. Danny had enough control to get to a safe distance before releasing that devastating power. Recuerda was the only one unable to escape the ice energy's range, stunned by the kick Danny gave her. She was instantly covered in a thin film of ice.

Danny regained control of his powers, cutting off the explosion of ice energy before he completely exhausted himself. He panted with exertion and finally took in what had happened while he was trapped with Recuerda. He frowned as he saw a group of people sitting on the side lines and gasped as he spotted a number of mutant ghosts he remembered from his first visit to Vlad's chalet in Colorado. He shivered violently before he dropped back down to the ground, spotting Robin with ease due to his colourful uniform.

"Are you alright?" Superboy called up once the halfa got close enough.

"I'll be fine. Not my first freak out. But my ice energy is still too high," Danny reported. Aqualad frowned as he felt the cold air radiating off the halfa. While Danny's ghost form did give off a slight chill, this was more than normal.

"Perhaps you should get that back under control," Aqualad suggested.

"If I do that, I'll either be too exhausted to help with Recuerda or I'll lose control. What did I miss?" Danny replied.

"Are you sure? We wouldn't blame you if you wanted to sit out," Zatanna questioned. Danny nodded.

"Without Recuerda holding onto me, I can focus properly. What happened?" Danny confirmed.

"When Recuerda grabbed you, we think she accidentally pulled us into your memories because of Zatanna's spell. We got free and then helped you, Valerie, Garfield and Danielle," Aqualad recounted. Danny blinked.

"Danielle and Garfield are here?" he repeated.

"Yeah, they stowed away on the Bioship," Robin affirmed. Danny frowned and scanned the area, spotting Garfield and Danielle now that he was on the ground. His frown only deepened when he saw Danielle's hands glow green and fire off a ghost ray safely away from everyone.

"Every time that shield around you and Recuerda was hit, a memory was made. One was of a Guys in White agent with the gun they used on you. Dani got hit," Robin explained, following Danny's gaze. Danny nodded in understanding before he saw Sam and Kid Flash.

"And them?" he prompted.

"They… couldn't cope with the memory they got trapped in. We can focus on that later. Now we have to focus on Recuerda," Aqualad decided, frowning at both traumatised teens.

Danny nodded, tearing his gaze away from the group. He looked up to see the ice around Recuerda cracking.

"I think she might be slowing down. She didn't take any of my memories as far as I know and all this fighting has to be taking its toll on her. She isn't an experienced fighter after all," Danny remarked. Aqualad nodded.

"What do you suggest then?" the Atlantean inquired.

"We finish this. All I need is a second. Once the beam catches her, she won't be able to break free. But she needs to stay still so that I can aim and charge up the thermos," Danny explained.

"You don't have a thermos though," Zatanna pointed out.

"Sam or Tucker will have one if not Jazz or my mom. Just try and distract her and keep her still," Danny replied before running over to the side lines. Aqualad gave a curt nod.

"Alright then. Conner, take Artemis's place helping Garfield. Robin, get the others on board with the plan. Zatanna, work your magic," Aqualad delegated. Zatanna smirked as she returned her attention to the memory ghost.

Danny spared a concerned glance at Kid Flash and Sam before heading directly to Tucker and Danielle.

"Tuck! Got a thermos?!" Danny shouted as he drew close. Tucker blinked before nodding and unclipping a thermos from his belt. Danny stopped beside them and took the thermos from his friend.

"The gun should stop messing your powers up soon Dani. But you might be trapped in ghost form for a while. By the way, you're not off the hook for sneaking on the Bioship," Danny remarked as he checked over the thermos for damage and ensured it was set to the correct setting. Danielle frowned.

"You did it before," she protested.

"Yeah and Batman was furious," Danny retorted before clipping the thermos to his hip.

"Thanks Tuck," he concluded.

"You sure you're alright dude?" Tucker asked before the halfa could leave. Danny turned to the techno-geek and smirked.

"I'm fine Tuck. There's nothing Recuerda can throw at me that I've haven't faced before," Danny commented before running off. Tucker smiled to himself as he watched his best friend run off to save the day, like always.

Danny turned invisible and floated close by the fight but safely out of the way. Rocket and Valerie were circling the large ghost and throwing random blasts at her. The ghost growled in outrage as she dodged the blasts and swiped wildly at both teen girls. Artemis was firing explosive arrows from below while Aqualad stood ready to pin the ghost down with his Atlantean magic should Recuerda become grounded. Robin threw stun grenades and birdarangs up at the ghost also. Miss Martian acted more as Valerie and Rocket's backup than attacking Recuerda directly but she did send telekinetic blasts when she could.

Eventually the ghost was forced down towards the ground and Aqualad instantly took advantage. Using his Atlantean magic, he pulled the water from the broken fountain towards himself and formed a watery hand which grabbed onto Recuerda's legs, hidden by the long flowing robes. The water then crackled with electricity. Recuerda shrieked in pain and Danny zoomed forwards, turning visible and stopped directly in front of Recuerda as her ghostly glow dimmed. He smirked as he aimed the thermos with ease and a loud whine emitted from the device as it charged up. A bright blue stream of energy spilled out and covered the ghost, pulling her inside despite how much she fought the current. Aqualad, Artemis, Robin, Valerie and Rocket stopped their attacks and any of the lingering memories faded with Recuerda's defeat.

Danny slammed the lid on the thermos and clipped it to his hip. He breathed a sigh of relief and grinned as he heard Garfield whoop happily. The halfa then turned to Wally and Sam. He drifted down to them, ignoring the others as they ran over. He decided to go to Wally first. Sam, while obviously traumatised and distressed, was able to focus on her surroundings, unlike Wally.

"What memory was he trapped in?" Danny asked his sister, kneeling beside the speedster.

"I don't know. But it was horrible," Jazz muttered, unable to meet her brother's gaze. Danny frowned at her.

"The punishment the Guys in White did," Artemis answered as she knelt beside the halfa. Danny hummed in understanding. He leant down to Wally's mouth and listened to his mumbling closely.

"This can't be real. I'm still on that table. Any second now. This will disappear," Wally mumbled under his breath, almost too soft and fast for Danny to decipher. The halfa frowned before moving to whisper in his ear.

"You can choose your reality Wally. Would you prefer to be on that table or here, with your friends and Artemis?" Danny whispered. Wally blinked and began chanting softly the word here.

"Then snap out of it. You're here and you're safe. You won't ever be on that table again," Danny replied.

Jazz stared in wonder as Wally responded to whatever Danny was saying. Gradually after a number of reassurances, Wally sat up. Danny then pulled Artemis over to her boyfriend.

"Keep telling him that he's safe and free. This is real. I think he might have snapped under that torture. I kinda had time to build up tolerance to that brutality. Wally didn't. He'll be fine though," Danny instructed. Artemis nodded and gently wrapped her arm around the speedster's shoulders and resumed muttering reassurances in his ear.

"How did you do that?" Jazz breathed in awe.

"Jazz, I've been where Wally is. I know what Black Canary did to snap me out of it and it worked. I'm just doing what she did for me," Danny explained with a shrug. He stood up and shivered. His ice energy was still too high but he had to help Sam before he could focus on that.

He knelt beside Sam and Maddie, wordlessly he pulled the Goth into his arms, cringing as the girl began to shiver, her lips gradually turning blue.

"What memory?" he asked his mother.

"S-she was being dissected," Maddie choked out, suddenly realising that Danny had been the one on that table in reality.

"Sweetie-" Maddie began.

"Mom, it's in the past. Let's focus on Sam," Danny interrupted. Maddie nodded and closed her mouth. Danny leaned in close to the Goth.

"Tell me what happened Sam," Danny murmured in her ear.

"T-they cut my chest open. It h-hurt so m-much," Sam gasped as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Danny nodded.

"That's good. Really good Sam. Did they do anything else?" Danny prompted. He could tell that Sam didn't need reassurance. She needed to talk. Slowly, Sam recounted the entire memory to Danny while Danny whispered encouragements and reassurances.

Eventually, the Goth seemed to regain her bearings and realised who was holding her.

"D-Danny, h-how c-c-could you s-survive that?" Sam breathed, her glistening eyes staring at him. He shrugged.

"I was stubborn," he offered. Sam smirked, shivering violently. Danny then turned to his mother, gently releasing Sam.

"No! No don't go!" Sam exclaimed, clutching Danny's arms desperately.

"I have to Sam. I'm making you too cold. Don't worry, I'll stay close," Danny assured the Goth and gave the Goth to his mother, who understood instantly and began to rub the Goth's back to warm the girl up as quickly as possible.

Danny stood up and scanned everyone, Wally was slowly coming out of his stupor and Sam was regaining her composure also. Danielle's powers had stopped lashing out against her will. Danny could see that others wanted to talk to him about what they saw, but that could wait. If he didn't get his ice powers back under control, he might actually hurt someone or himself. He wasn't exactly happy that the others had seen his memories, especially not Jazz, Sam, Tucker and his mother, but he couldn't change that now. He turned away from everyone and began to walk to a safe distance. Valerie moved to follow the halfa but Rocket grabbed the girl's arm.

"Let him go girl. He knows what he needs. Trust us. Besides, his powers are tied to his emotions and that fight wasn't easy on any of us," Raquel muttered.

Danny walked until he couldn't hear the others and then he stopped. He glanced around himself before he changed into his human form. His ice powers were extremely dangerous and if he let out his powers at full force, he might freeze over the park which he didn't want to do. While human, his powers were reduced and so it was far safer that he regain control this way. Closing his eyes, he let out his ice energy. Blue energy pulsed out from his body, causing him to shiver and his teeth to chatter. The grass was covered in icy snow and icicles hung from the trees around him.

**Whew! Recuerda's finally in a thermos.**

**For anyone who didn't notice, Recuerda's name is a slight variation on the Spanish word for memory, Recuerdo. Well done to everyone who noticed!**

**How will Danny handle learning of what his loved ones, and even the team, saw in his memories?**

**Will Danny be okay after such an emotionally difficult fight?**

**Will Wally be okay?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	124. Chapter 124

After twenty minutes, Sam seemed to have recovered from the memory as well as her body heat. She began to talk to the others and gave them tentative smiles. Wally was also showing improvement but not to the same degree. He had stopped muttering to himself but he still seemed a bit confused about what was happening. Artemis stayed by his side, following Danny's instructions on reassuring the speedster. Conner and Zatanna had gone back to the Fenton assault vehicle and treated Jack's broken leg as best as they could before helping the large man to where everyone had gathered. M'gann called her Bioship to the park. Now that the ghost was taken care of, the team felt confident enough to bring the alien vehicle closer to themselves.

Valerie sat down beside Danielle and Tucker, checking over the female halfa and asking the techno-geek why he was helping the Fentons. Raquel sat down with Garfield to check him over for injuries before they exchanged stories. Robin made sure the bathrooms on the far side of the battlefield were structurally sound while Kaldur checked the fountain, cutting off the water manually. The only person not occupying themselves was Jazz. She looked worriedly in the direction her little brother walked off in. He had yet to return.

Jazz was concerned about Danny and had been counting the minutes. Having had enough, she turned to Artemis.

"Artemis… I'm worried about Danny. Maybe we should check on him," Jazz suggested, interrupting the archer's reassurances to her boyfriend. Artemis blinked before nodding.

"Take Gar with you and Raquel. They'll be able to handle it if Danny's not himself. And don't get too close to Danny before he tells you it's okay. His ice powers can get wild when his emotions overwhelm him," Artemis replied before turning back to Wally. Jazz bit her lip and nodded as she got to her feet.

Jazz crossed the area everyone had gathered around and knelt beside Garfield and Raquel.

"So we found everyone and then Zee cast a spell to get us all out," Raquel recounted.

"Wait, found everyone?" Garfield interjected.

"Gar, they're Danny's memories. I don't want to cross a line by revealing things he isn't comfortable sharing. It's bad enough we all saw them," Raquel retorted.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'm worried about Danny. Artemis suggested that I ask you two to come with me to look for him," Jazz requested. Garfield and Raquel blinked in surprise before scanning the area and realising that Danny wasn't back yet.

"Good idea. He has been gone a while," Raquel agreed and got to her feet, dusting the dirt off her thighs. Garfield grinned and jumped to his feet, once again in his usual furry form.

The trio walked away from the others, walking in the general direction Danny went. Jazz glanced at Garfield.

"So, what's your superhero name?" Jazz inquired.

"Gar doesn't have one yet. He's not even on the team, he just lives at the Cave," Raquel revealed. Garfield shrugged.

"I can't even change my appearance back to how I used to be. Danny suggested to come up with a name for this form so I can differentiate it from myself. But I haven't heard any names I like yet," Garfield added. Jazz blinked before she tapped her chin.

"What are your powers?" she asked.

"I can shape-shift into animals," Garfield answered. Jazz grinned and snapped her fingers.

"Beast boy," she suggested happily. Raquel smirked with amusement while Garfield mouthed the name to himself. It sounded alright to him.

The conversation was ended though when the trio noticed the frosty snow covering the ground and the ice in the trees.

"I think we found Danny," Raquel mumbled. Jazz stared at the ice. Her concern for her brother had sky-rocketed. Garfield shape-shifted into dog and sniffed the air. He then ran off into the miniature winter wonderland. Raquel and Jazz chased after the green dog. Jazz gasped as she saw someone, curled up in the snow.

"Danny!?" she shouted. Raquel grabbed the red-head before Jazz could rush to the halfa's side.

"He might still be freaking out! Let Gar get closer first," Raquel exclaimed as she struggled to hold the teen girl. Garfield nodded and shape-shifted into the form of an arctic fox.

The green fox ran forward to Danny. Garfield frowned. Danny was shivering violently with blue lips. His teeth were chattering also. And yet, the halfa seemed to be unconscious. Garfield nervously pawed at Danny's shivering arms but the teen didn't stir. Garfield bit his lip and shape-shifted into a polar bear. The green bear lay down beside Danny and pulled the halfa into his long insulating fur, using the large animal's body heat to warm him.

"I think he's alright. He's unconscious though. And freezing," Garfield called to the older girls. Raquel released Jazz, causing the red-head to fall to her hands and knees, but Jazz scrambled to her feet and sprinted to her brother's side. She gasped as she saw Danny's condition. Tentatively, Jazz reached out and put a hand to the halfa's bare arm. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the halfa's ice-cold skin, filled with fear and concern.

Raquel decided to get more help and returned back to the others. She hurried over to Kaldur immediately, ignoring Artemis's questioning gaze.

"Danny's not in a good way. I think he's got hypothermia or something. Garfield and Jazz are with him, but Danny's unconscious," Raquel muttered urgently. Kaldur's eyes widened in alarm. He, like the rest of the team, had assumed that Danny would safely release the energy with target practice or something and would need time to regain control of his ice powers. Kaldur turned to see Robin jogging over to the others at a leisurely pace, having confirmed that the bathrooms were stable. They hadn't gotten much damage in the first place to be honest but it was better safe than sorry.

"Robin, follow me. Rocket, lead the way," Kaldur ordered. Raquel nodded and the Atlantean and boy wonder followed the girl.

"What's going on?" Robin asked as they got out of earshot of the others.

"Danny's in a bad way. He's this way," Raquel replied and it didn't take long before they reached the icy area and spotted a green polar bear cradling a body to itself. Robin and Kaldur ran forward and Garfield let them see the halfa. Robin frowned and tapped on his computer gauntlet and scanned the halfa. Jazz watched the boy wonder anxiously as Garfield hid the halfa back in his fur.

"Well?" Kaldur prompted. Robin held up a finger before resuming his fast-paced typing. He hummed loudly.

"He's not hypothermic. Not yet anyway. But his ghost energy is low. My guess, he exhausted himself getting his energy under control. He's more susceptible to cold temperatures in his human form," Robin reported. Jazz chewed her lip.

"Can we do anything?" Garfield inquired.

"You're already doing it. Warming him up will help but he needs rest too. It's a good thing you guys went to look for him. I don't know how durable his human half is to cold temperatures. He might have become hypothermic given time," Robin answered.

Raquel knelt beside Jazz and put a reassuring hand on the red-head's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Danny will be fine. He's been through worse," Raquel remarked with a warm smile. Jazz nodded.

"I can't believe what those Guys in White agents did to him though. I knew it was horrible. But… I would have never guessed just how terrible it was," Jazz muttered, staring at the tuft of black hair she could see among the green fur hiding her brother from view.

"Didn't he tell you guys? Or Batman?" Robin inquired.

"Batman only told us it was bad and said we didn't want to know. We didn't ask and Danny didn't offer to tell us. In fact, he seemed almost normal when he came to visit us. The first time we saw how traumatised he was, that was when you guys brought him to Fenton Works to use the portal to see Frostbite," Jazz admitted.

"Woah. So you guys had no idea," Raquel whispered.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Getting Danny to open up about his insecurities is impossible. If he doesn't want to tell you, he won't. And after Spectra masqueraded as our school psychologist, he bottles everything up," Jazz replied with a sigh.

"But you're his family," Garfield pointed out.

"In Danny's mind, that means he has to protect us from his issues. I don't understand it really," Jazz remarked with a shrug. Robin frowned as he thought about the memory he was trapped inside. Perhaps that was the reason. Danny protected his family and friends fiercely because he had once failed to do so. He didn't want to put them in such danger again which meant he had to face things alone. Robin glanced at Kaldur and saw the Atlantean was deep in thought himself, possibly following a similar train of thought.

After a few minutes, Danny slowly pulled himself out of his unconsciousness. He felt warm, encased in something very soft and comfortable. He let himself relax for a moment before he started to crave some space. He gently struggled and Garfield instantly released the halfa from his bear hug. Danny blinked at the sudden brightness of the sunlight glinting off the blinding whiteness. He shivered as he felt a cold breeze before he saw Jazz, Robin, Kaldur and Raquel staring worriedly at him. He rolled his eyes and got to his feet shakily.

"Guess I can't get a few minutes to myself," Danny grumbled.

"Danny, you were freezing!" Jazz protested. Danny turned to her mid-stretch.

"Jazz, I have a lot of durability to cold temperatures. Even as human. I might be a bit uncomfortable but I can survive. I accidentally froze over an entire room overnight and was fine in the morning," Danny retorted. Jazz frowned and turned to Robin.

"Hey, I said I didn't know how durable he was," Robin reminded her.

Danny frowned at the amount of ice around them. Garfield shifted back to his normal furry self and stood up.

"This is a lot of ice and snow," Raquel commented. Danny nodded.

"I'm glad I changed into my human half first. If I did that as Phantom, I might have frozen the entire park," Danny muttered. Everyone stared at the halfa.

"You're that powerful?" Garfield whispered in awe.

"My ice energy built up to dangerous levels Gar. It's a defence mechanism. I get scared, things get frozen. Recuerda forced my worst memories on me. I was on the verge of completely losing it. But I was able to focus enough to keep my composure and control my ice powers. But if you guys hadn't distracted her and freed me, then I wouldn't have been able to for much longer. All that adrenaline and fear caused a massive amount of ice energy to build up in my body. It had to go somewhere or I might have frozen myself over or one of you," Danny explained.

A white band of light appeared around Danny's waist before flickering out of existence and Danny stumbled back a few steps. Kaldur caught the halfa before he fell over.

"Ugh. Too weak to change," Danny groaned, holding his head as a dizzy spell overwhelmed him.

"Then don't change," Jazz ordered.

"I have to. If I don't, Valerie will figure out my secret," Danny pointed out.

"She knows about Danielle, right?" Robin recalled. Danny sighed.

"Not the point. I don't want her to know about me. Me and Val have a complicated relationship. If she learns the truth, I don't know how she'll take it," Danny replied.

"Alright, take it easy for a bit and we can go back a little later," Kaldur suggested. Danny nodded, flashing the Atlantean a grateful smile.

**So Danny's feeling a bit better.**

**What will the consequences of that fight be for Danny and those involved?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	125. Chapter 125

Half an hour later, Danny had regained enough energy to change into his ghost form once again, his suit having repaired itself after the memory Brain and Monsieur Mallah shredded it. He was still tired and he knew it was a bad idea to use his powers for now, but at least he wasn't stuck as his human self. Jazz hovered close to her brother and Kaldur insisted on walking beside the halfa in case Danny exhausted himself. Garfield was unusually quiet, deep in thought about Jazz's suggested name. Beast Boy. It had a nice ring. Easily shortened to BB. It explained exactly what he could do. And the best thing, he couldn't figure out a single way that this name could be used to insult him, unlike other suggestions like the amazing fur ball. Raquel and Robin had already returned to the others, making sure to tell anyone who asked that Danny was fine, just getting his energy back to normal.

They soon joined the others, Danny giving a little wave in greeting.

"Are you okay now?" Zatanna asked. Danny smirked and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry about that but if I didn't do that soon, then my ice powers might have built up even more and hurt someone. How's Kid Flash doing?" Danny replied, turning to Artemis. They had to remember that Valerie was around and they needed to maintain secret identities.

"Better. I think. But he's still a bit… anxious," Artemis answered carefully. Danny nodded. Valerie stood up and nervously rubbed her arm.

"Sorry, but I do need to go. I just wanted to make sure that Phantom was okay. You don't need me right?" Valerie announced warily. Danny smiled reassuringly at the ghost hunter. Honestly, he was glad that Valerie was leaving. He knew everyone wanted to talk about the memories they saw and that wasn't possible with Valerie around.

"Nope everything's under control now. Thanks for the help," Danny confirmed. Valerie shook her head.

"I don't think I really helped that much. I got in the way and made things more complicated for you guys. Will… will I see you around?" Valerie remarked. Danny blinked at Valerie's hesitancy. The ghost hunter was usually confident, so confident in fact it could be unnerving.

"Are you alright? You seem… off?" Danny questioned. Valerie sighed and shook her head.

"I just need to take some time and figure out some stuff. I just… am I really so terrible?" Valerie mumbled, her eyes wide and pleading behind the tinted visor. Danny blinked in shock. Valerie Gray was asking _him_, Danny Phantom, for reassurance.

"What made you think that!?" Danny exclaimed. Valerie hung her head in shame.

"One of the memories that the spook made was of me. A younger me. I never realised how… how horrible I sounded. I didn't see how aggressive and-and violent I was. No wonder I don't have fans huh," Valerie explained. Danny frowned.

"You didn't know better, and I guess you were justified a bit. You had lost a lot. And I'm sure you _do_ have fans," Danny replied. Valerie shook her head.

"I don't care about that. I don't want that to be what people see me as. I think I need to do some serious thinking. Maybe it's best if I quit," Valerie retorted.

"I don't agree. If you quit then you'll never be able to change your image. Trust me on this. Stick with it and work to change how you appear. But if you want to quit, I'm not going to stop you," Danny pointed out.

Valerie nodded mutely as she began to walk to the edge of the group. She paused and turned to Danny.

"You never answered me. Will I see you around?" Valerie inquired. Danny could see the curiosity and hope on his loved ones' faces in the corner of his eye. He bit his lip before slowly shaking his head.

"Probably not for a while yet. Consider me on call but… I need to sort some stuff out too. Still getting over what the Guys in White did to be honest. But soon. I'll be back soon," Danny decided. It wasn't the right time to come home. Not yet. Valerie nodded.

"Alright then. Get better soon," Valerie muttered sadly and her hover board materialised beneath her feet before carrying the teen into the sky and out of sight.

Danny watched Valerie leave, surprised and touched by her departing words. She seemed to actually care about him. Maybe not as a friend. But she did seem to understand that he was a person, not a mindless creature. A gentle smile worked its way to his face. Maybe Valerie could handle the truth, but he'd need a lot more than "get better soon" before he took that leap of faith. He sighed and turned to the others, sitting on the ground.

"I'm guessing you have questions," he remarked.

"Maybe one or two," Robin admitted.

"But if you don't want to dude, it's totally fine," Tucker interjected. Danny shook his head.

"It's fine. What memories did you see?" Danny replied.

Everyone shared nervous glances before they shuffled together in a circle with Danny. No one knew where to start.

"I wasn't actually trapped in a memory but I saw them all," Zatanna mentioned.

"That's right. Zee, why don't you go through who you freed? That way we won't miss anyone out," Raquel suggested. Zatanna shrugged.

"First person I saved was Kaldur," Zatanna began. Kaldur looked up and pursed his lips before facing Danny.

"I was trapped in the memory of your accident," Kaldur revealed. Danny winced in sympathy.

"Not my favourite memory. Any questions?" Danny commented.

"I think I understand everything," Kaldur decided. He didn't have questions but he certainly sympathised with the halfa. Kaldur had been born with his abilities, gaining control through training. Danny's accident had been terrible. It made the Atlantean realise that Danny had experienced his fair share of pain and hardship, even before the Guys in White.

Zatanna bit her lip and then nodded to Tucker. The techno-geek took a deep breath.

"The day you got caught by the Guys in White. Dude… I'm so sorry that we didn't-" Tucker started but stopped when Danny put up a hand, remembering not to lift the hand with the broken finger.

"Don't go there Tuck. It's fine. Any questions?" Danny interjected. Tucker bit his tongue and shook his head stiffly. Danny sighed.

"I'm not upset Tucker. I don't know how you guys could have helped anyway. Especially after I got hit by that gun," Danny reasoned, Tucker nodded in understanding but didn't say anything further.

"Robin… was next," Zatanna informed the halfa. Danny turned expectantly to the boy wonder. Robin glanced around the circle.

"Erm, the Nasty Burger explosion," Robin revealed. Danny's eyes widened.

"The Nasty Burger never exploded," Maddie retorted in confusion. Danny licked his lips anxiously before nodding.

"Right, but only because Clockwork got involved," Danny replied.

"Dude… why didn't you tell us about that? I mean we all saw how freaked you were. We could have helped," Tucker ventured softly. Danny moved his gaze from Robin to the techno-geek.

"Wait, you saw that memory?" Danny whispered, his horror and fear obvious. Tucker nodded.

"As did I," Kaldur interjected. A number of those gathered in the circle shared confused glances.

Danny took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm down about the fact that he had to talk about that memory.

"I didn't tell you because nothing happened. It didn't matter. I just needed time to get over it," Danny eventually answered. Tucker frowned.

"Dude, don't lie to me," Tucker retorted evenly. Danny sighed loudly.

"Fine. I didn't want to think about it. I don't like talking about that memory. You saw what happened, can you blame me?" Danny confessed.

"No, not really. But… talking helps," Tucker ventured, clearly not dropping the matter. Danny nodded.

"I know. I've actually spoken to Black Canary about that memory," Danny admitted. Jazz, Sam, Robin, Kaldur, Zatanna and Tucker all blinked in surprise.

"It came up in our conversations. We're working on my… er Black Canary put it as, my unhealthy fixation to protect others by distancing myself," Danny added with a shrug.

"What does that mean?" Garfield prompted with confusion. Danny shook his head with a chuckle.

"It means I'm super stubborn about letting others get involved when I can protect them," Danny clarified. Jazz, Sam and Tucker glanced at each other, suddenly realising exactly how affected Danny was by the whole thing with his future self.

"You know that what happened isn't gonna happen now right?" Jazz ventured.

"What are you talking about?! What's the big secret?" Danielle huffed, attracting a few annoyed frowns.

"If Danny doesn't wish to elaborate, then we will respect his wishes," Kaldur interjected.

"Yeah, I only mentioned it because I owed it to you to let you know we knew," Robin agreed. Danny smiled gratefully but he noticed Maddie and Jack's worried faces, hurt peeking through with the belief that he wouldn't confide because he didn't trust them.

"I might as well explain properly," Danny sighed with defeat. Numerous people around the circle blinked in astonishment.

"You don't have to," Zatanna reminded him.

"I know. But… I at least owe Sam and Jazz an explanation. They were involved, sort of. But… bear with me okay. I really don't like thinking about this stuff," Danny decided.

Danny took a deep breath and began his story, starting with the pressure to succeed with the C.A.T. tests. He kept his gaze solely on his hands and the grass directly in front of him, even going as far as plucking up blades of grass to fiddle with to distract himself from what he was saying, carefully not moving his injured finger which would hopefully be healed within the next couple of days. As such, he didn't see the guilt flashing over Maddie, Jack and Jazz's faces at the stress he felt, the anger as they learnt of how he decided to cheat and the horror as everyone learnt of that bleak future. Sam and Tucker nodded along with the story as they recalled the events themselves, until the point of the story when they removed their time medallions. Danny slowed down at that point. For two reasons. One, it was getting close to the harder memories and also because he had to dance around Vlad's secret.

He finally got to the end where he fought his future self before he faltered, tears blurring his vision. He had retold every detail as honestly and in depth as he was able.

"I… I couldn't change. I was out of power. I beat that jerk but… I couldn't save everyone. The Nasty Burger exploded. I failed. And I would have lost everyone if Clockwork hadn't stepped in. He stopped time and gave me a second chance. A chance to do the right thing and not cheat on the C.A.T.s. If I never cheated, then no one would have gathered around the Nasty Burger. Even if it blew, no one would have died. After I owned up, I got into a ghost fight but straight afterwards, I went to the Nasty Burger and moved the vat of sauce away from the cooker. I even wrote a letter to the head office, expressing concern for the placement of such a volatile substance being near so many heat sources. New regulations were brought in. They don't make the sauce on site anymore," Danny concluded, refusing to lift his gaze from the grass being ripped apart by his fingers.

"Danny… I had no idea," Jazz whispered, breaking the tense silence. She had been the least informed on the event of the trio. Danny had refused to talk about the incident after that day, no matter how much the others pressed for details. Danny nodded mutedly.

"What happened to your future self?" Conner ventured.

"Clockwork took the thermos. That's all I know and it's all I want to know. If I knew more I think I would obsess over protecting the thermos," Danny answered with a shrug. A few people nodded in understanding and agreement.

"Sweetie, we never meant to put that kind of pressure on you," Maddie muttered.

"Yeah son. There are other kinds of smarts than book or test smart," Jack agreed. Danny finally looked up from the pieces of grass in his fingers and flashed them a knowing smile.

"I know. And I know better now. It… It was just a stressful time for me. That's all," Danny replied.

**Yep, now everyone knows about Danny's future self. **

**So while this section of the story is wrapping up, we're far from the end of this story.**

**What do you guys think will happen next?**

**Someone asked for a translation of Zatanna's spells, so I'll add it into tomorrow's author's note but I'll tell you the secret to decode it for yourselves first. In this story Zatanna says words backwards to cast spells doing what she says backwards. So, if you read each word in order but reverse the order if the letters you have the spell. Doog kcul.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	126. Chapter 126

Over the next hour, everyone told Danny what memory they saw with a few questions clarifying what they experienced. However Danny could sense that everyone wanted to talk to him alone about what they saw. Danny and Conner helped Jack back to the Fenton assault vehicle together and Maddie led Sam to the vehicle. Tucker trailed behind with Jazz, Artemis giving the red-head her car keys. Once in the Fenton assault vehicle, Danny reverted back to human and dropped into a seat.

"You okay Danny?" Conner inquired.

"Yeah. Just worn out. I'm fine Conner. Do you mind if I go back home with my family for an hour or so?" Danny replied. Conner blinked but assured the halfa it was fine. None of the team would stop Danny spending time with his loved ones, especially as he hardly spoke to them since being taken by the Guys in White. Danny smiled gratefully and Conner left the RV to join the rest of the team, Danielle and Garfield in the Bioship.

Tucker dropped into the seat beside his friend at the back. Maddie was behind the wheel and Sam had been sat down near the front.

"You sure you're okay dude?" Tucker muttered. Danny nodded and smiled at the techno-geek.

"What do you want to talk about Tuck?" Danny asked. Tucker blinked before nibbling his lip nervously.

"In the memory… I felt how scared you were. How painful it was. I… I had no idea how hard doing what you do was. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I promise I was trying to find you. I hacked the Guys in White more times than I can count," Tucker began to babble. Danny placed his uninjured hand on Tucker's arm, interrupting the teen's frantic explanations.

"I know Tucker. I know you tried to find me. And I know that you would have tried to help me if you had been there. Thanks," Danny assured the boy. Tucker blinked in confusion.

"Thanks? Danny, why are you thanking me? I didn't actually save you. All I did was get caught hacking the Guys in White. We were lucky that Robin listened to our side of the story," Tucker protested realistically. Danny shook his head.

"Nah Tuck. You did way more than that. You tried to find me. You tried to find me _illegally_. You've supported me while I was recovering. You took over my job when I couldn't handle it letting me recover in peace. You've been unbelievably patient with me too. I know it hasn't been easy, especially when I wouldn't talk to you guys. Plus, when I was with the Guys in White… thoughts of you guys helped me cope. You're an amazing friend Tucker," Danny corrected. Tucker blinked at Danny's speech, his cheeks slowly darkening with a modest blush.

"Thanks Danny," Tucker mumbled eventually. Danny smiled and nodded.

"Besides, I don't usually get that hurt. But at least I know about my fast healing now," Danny added, hoping to soothe Tucker's mind on his friend's health and well-being. Tucker smiled and gave a nod.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about? Just you and me?" Tucker inquired, glancing to the front where Maddie was driving with Jack and Sam directly behind her. Danny smirked but shook his head.

"Thanks Tuck, but I'm fine. I think I'm the least shook up by everything," Danny replied with a soft chuckle. Tucker smirked and nodded in understanding, glancing at Sam again.

"You went through some horrible stuff," Tucker muttered to himself, still in disbelief over the memories he'd intruded on. Danny nodded sagely.

"Yeah. I did. But… I'm starting to realise that going through the stuff, it was horrible. Don't get me wrong. If I could avoid it, I would. But… I know that it's made me stronger. I… I know how to handle that kind of fear now. And there is a theory that I might have built-up an immune response to some sedatives and other drugs. But it's made my resolve stronger too. I don't want that to happen to anyone else and I know I'd do whatever I can to prevent history repeating itself," Danny remarked, his mind drifting to what Black Canary had once told him. He wasn't the same person. He never would be again. But… now that he could control his PTSD, maybe it was a good thing he had changed. Tucker raised an eyebrow at his friend. Danny caught the bewildered look and snorted.

"Chill Tuck. I'm not grateful for what the Guys in White did to me. Or what the Light did. But I can see things differently now. Tuck, before Christmas when you guys saw me… I was in a bad place. But I'm not there anymore. What I said to Valerie was true. I really do think I could come home soon," Danny explained, lowering his gaze to his hands, gently fingering his broken finger, finding the fracture with a slight wince.

"Danny? You okay?" Tucker asked, spotting the wince.

"Broken finger. I'm fine. It'll be healed in the next couple of days," Danny admitted with a shrug.

"When did you-?" Tucker began, concern leaking into his expression.

"Recuerda did it. When we were in the bubble or whatever. I was trying to get away from her but she wouldn't let go," Danny recalled.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tucker inquired, eyeing Danny's broken finger.

"Yeah Tuck. I'm fine. But if it makes you feel better," Danny assured before his blue eyes began to glow and his broken finger and its neighbour were splinted together with ice.

"Is that not gonna make you cold or something?" Tucker pointed out. Danny shook his head.

"I'm resistant to cold Tuck. It takes a lot to get me hypothermic or something. Plus, the ice will help with inflammation right," Danny revealed. Tucker bit his lip at the surety Danny had of his resistance to ice. Danny spotted the expression and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yeah, that was an experiment too," Danny confessed. Tucker frowned at his friend but knew better than to start comforting Danny. He could see that Danny was in a much better state of mind now as opposed to before Christmas.

The assault vehicle slowed to a stop outside the hospital. Maddie had decided to take her husband straight to the hospital to have his broken leg treated. Maddie turned in her seat and chewed her lower lip as she looked at her son.

"I'll stay here mom. You get a doctor or something to help with dad," Danny suggested, giving his mother a reassuring smile and nod. Maddie uncertainly nodded but obeyed. Danny excused himself from Tucker to sit beside his dad.

"You know I don't blame you or mom for anything right?" Danny asked. He wanted to make sure everything was alright with his parents after the revelations at the park and his father was going to be difficult to talk to in a hospital. Jack smiled and placed a large hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Of course Danny. We're so proud of you son. And I'm sorry that you've had to endure so much because of my mistake. I should have moved that stupid button. I honestly thought I had but… I'm sorry," Jack replied.

"It's fine dad. It was an accident. For everyone. So many people were involved that it can't have been anyone's fault you know. Besides, I'm over that. And I'm getting over what happened with the Guys in White and the Light," Danny assured with a warm smile. Jack grinned at his son, the slight scowl around his eyes gave away the pain his leg was causing him.

"I'd offer to give you some ice but that's kinda hard to explain to nurses," Danny muttered, with an apologetic smirk. Jack laughed heartily and shook his head.

"It's fine son. Thanks though. But are you doing okay?" Jack inquired. Danny nodded.

"Yeah. The hardest thing about facing Recuerda was the fact that she made the memory so real it was like re-living it. But… er… well I have enough nightmares to be able to shake that off," Danny replied, growing quiet at the mention of his nightmares. Jack frowned but Danny flashed him a wide, reassuring smile.

"I'm getting better," Danny reminded him, with such confidence and optimism, Jack had to smile and nod in agreement. Maddie returned a few moments later with a strong male nurse. Danny turned invisible the second the door opened and kept out of the way while his mother and the nurse helped Jack into the hospital, Maddie spouting a half-lie that a good Samaritan had helped Jack into the vehicle in the first place.

Danny turned to Sam next. The Goth had shrunk into a dark seat, unnoticed by the nurse. He dropped his invisibility. Part of him wanted to send Tucker away so that he and Sam could have some privacy, but he knew the moment Tucker saw the white building dedicated to medicine, the techno-geek would freeze in fear. If anything, the time Tucker broke his leg and spent time in the hospital had made his pathological fear worse. Although, oddly, if he was injured he could work through the fear to get help. It didn't really make much sense. But Danny wouldn't do that to his friend and so hoped that the techno-geek wouldn't eavesdrop instead. The halfa sat beside Sam and gently touched her arm, careful not to touch her with the icy splint.

"Are you doing okay?" Danny asked. Sam took a shaky breath and shrugged.

"Not sure. I… I know I'm not hurt, but I keep thinking that I am. And I can't stop thinking about that memory," Sam admitted.

"It gets easier to deal with," Danny told her. Sam nodded slowly before moving her blank stare to him.

"I'm sorry Danny. I'm so sorry. That was your memory. O-of course you know. I'm sorry," Sam whispered, tears filling her purple eyes. Danny grabbed her hand.

"Sam, stopping apologising. It's not your fault. And it may be my memory, but now it's yours too. You experienced what I went through," Danny reminded her. Sam pursed her lips as the tears spilled down her cheeks and nodded. Danny sighed.

"Jazz knows some good tips for nightmares. If you have any or they get so bad you can't sleep you can ask her. Having a light on and music helps. And… you can always call me, day or night alright Sam. You're not alone. It's really important that you remember that," Danny instructed her. Sam sniffed and nodded, pulling Danny into a hug. He knew that Sam was hugging him to comfort herself but he also knew it was a thank you too. He returned the hug easily.

"It's alright Sam. I'm never going to let you be put in that position again," Danny murmured in her ear, gently running his hand with a broken finger through her short black hair. Sam sniffed again and nuzzled into his shoulder. A slight pink rose on his cheeks as a warm smirk crept to his lips. He liked protecting and comforting Sam, she rarely needed or even looked for it. However that just made these moments all the more precious to him.

**So Danny's just checking on his loved ones and how they're coping with what they saw.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**So someone asked for a translation and I told you all the code to decode Zatanna's spell. As promised, the actually translations. **

**"I nommus eht srewop dnuonra em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. Annataz arataz. Leinad notnef. Mha'rudlak. Rekcut yelof. Drachir nosyarg. Eniledam notnef. Nnag'm zzro'm. leuqar nivre. Enimsaj notnef. Rennoc tnek. Simetra kcorc. Ahtnamas nosnam. Yllaw tsew. Laes ruo sdnim tsniaga roiretxe secrof. I nommus eht srewop dnuora em ot tcetorp eht slaudividni I llac."**

**Translates to...**

**"I summon the powers around me to protest the individuals I call. Seal our minds against exterior forces. Zatanna Zatara. Daniel Fenton. Kaldur'ahm. Tucker Foley. Richard Grayson. Madeline Fenton. M'gann M'orzz. Raquel Ervin. Jasmine Fenton. Conner Kent. Artemis Crock. Samantha Manson. Wally West. Seal our minds against exterior forces..."**

**And repeat.**

**And...**

**"Etarapes ruo sdnim morf leinad notnef. Eerf su morf sih tsap."**

**Translates to...**

**"Separate our minds from Daniel Fenton. Free us from his past."**

**Well done to everyone to managed to decode the spells by themselves.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	127. Chapter 127

Tucker thankfully stayed out of the exchange, unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Jazz. The red-head opened the door without warning and climbed in with a bulging bag filled with clothes for her father in case the doctors wanted to keep him in overnight. Sam tore herself away from Danny's embrace, franticly wiping her bright red cheeks dry. Danny withdrew also, fighting the urge to scowl at his sister for interrupting.

"Dad inside?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah. I don't exactly want to be seen though since I'm meant to be in Spittoon," Danny answered. Jazz nodded before she noticed Sam's embarrassment.

"Did I interrupt something?" Jazz inquired, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I was just talking to Sam. Don't worry about it Jazz," Danny replied, shooting Tucker a quick glare, warning the techno-geek not to say a word. Tucker grinned nervously and nodded.

"R-right. Okay then. Um… I'll go find mom and dad then," Jazz began.

"Before you do. Anything you want to talk to me about?" Danny interjected, standing up to join his sister.

"I thought you wanted to stay out of sight," Jazz reminded him. Danny raised an eyebrow and folded his arms before turning invisible. Jazz flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that," Jazz muttered.

"So do you want to talk?" Danny pressed, returning to the visible spectrum. Jazz nibbled her lip and glanced at Sam and Tucker.

"You can leave the bag here and we can go for a walk or something. You can say something about talking to yourself helps thought processes or whatever if anyone asks," Danny suggested. Jazz chuckled but nodded in agreement, dropping the bag on a nearby seat.

Danny followed Jazz out of the assault vehicle invisibly. Jazz sighed.

"You know I hate talking to you like this," Jazz complained, she never knew if he was still beside her or had flown off, leaving her to talk truly to herself.

"I know but I have no cover story and I want to keep some distance between me and er me. I mean Fenton me and Phantom me. You know what I mean," Danny retorted, Jazz smirked at her brother.

"Alright. Well… I wanted to ask if you're okay. I mean after what happened today," Jazz began.

"I'm fine Jazz. I'm probably the only one that is. I wanted to ask you the same thing," Danny replied as Jazz walked through the car park towards a fountain.

"I'm fine Danny," Jazz told him.

"Liar. You're not. I saw how uncomfortable you were when you told me what memory you got stuck in. You can talk to me Jazz. I'm not gonna snap at you this time," Danny reassured her, putting an invisible hand on her shoulder. Jazz sighed.

"Sorry Danny. I… don't want to push you," Jazz muttered.

"I know. I'm _offering_ this time Jazz. I told Tucker and I'm telling you. Before Christmas I was in a bad place. I'm not there anymore. I'm really getting better Jazz. I can see myself coming home soon," Danny informed his sister with conviction and confidence. Jazz blinked and turned to the direction his voice came from before smiling at him.

"Then I don't think I need to talk after all. I was worried about how you were coping, but… you really are coping aren't you?" Jazz remarked.

"No. Jazz, I'm not coping. Coping means I'm still in a dark place. But… I'm not. Black Canary said that I just fell down and needed to get back up and recover. For a while I didn't see how I could get back up. But now… I think I'm standing on my feet again. I just need to push forward again," Danny explained thoughtfully. Jazz beamed at the comment.

The siblings were on their way back to the Fenton assault vehicle when they saw their mother leaving the hospital. Jazz felt a breeze as Danny invisibly ran over to their mother. Jazz smirked and rolled her eyes in amusement at her brother. Danny jogged past his mother and phased into the assault vehicle, ignoring the fact that Tucker had moved to sit beside Sam and their startled gasps as he turned visible. Danny knew better than to approach his mother invisibly, he preferred not to get punched in the face on reflex. Maddie opened the door and blinked at her son standing in front of her with a grin.

"Danny? Is everything alright, sweetie?" Maddie greeted her son with confused uncertainty. Danny nodded as Jazz reached the vehicle, smirking over their mother's shoulder at her brother trying, and failing, to act casual.

"He wants to talk to you alone," Jazz informed Maddie, announcing her presence.

Maddie turned to her daughter, gasping in surprise and putting a hand to her chest.

"Oh Jazz, you startled me. Did you go back to the house?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, I packed an overnight bag for dad just in case. It's in the assault vehicle," Jazz answered before nodding pointedly at her brother. Maddie turned to her son and tilted her head.

"What do you want to talk to me about Danny?" Maddie inquired.

"Er… it was more if you wanted to talk to me you know, after what happened today," Danny admitted. Maddie smiled at him before shrugging.

"I would love to talk sweetie," Maddie remarked. Danny nodded and turned invisible, startling Maddie.

"He doesn't want to be seen since he's supposed to be in Spittoon," Jazz reminded her mother. Maddie blinked but nodded in understanding. Danny put a tentative hand on his mother's arm, Maddie flinched in surprise.

"Sorry mom. I know this is kinda weird but I don't want to be seen and Tuck's scared of hospitals so I don't want to kick him out of the assault vehicle and Sam's… she's still shook up," Danny explained softly, glancing over his shoulder at his friends. He could see that Sam had been crying again and that Tucker had probably moved to reassure her in Danny's place.

Maddie nodded in understanding and put a hand on her son's shoulder, hoping that she was right and it was his shoulder and not his head or something. Danny smiled invisibly at the hand and gently pulled away, grabbing her wrist and tugging her away from the doors. Maddie understood what he meant and started walking away from the vehicle, following her invisible son to a fountain nearby where they sat down.

"Danny… I want to apologise for… well hunting you. You didn't deserve it, even if I didn't know you were my son, I shouldn't have jumped to such a conclusion without solid proof," Maddie began.

"Aw mom. It's fine. I never blamed you and you did kinda have a lot of reasons to hunt me, I mean Phantom," Danny interjected. Maddie shook her head.

"No. It was inexcusable. So I'm sorry for it. Also… I'm so proud of you. I saw how brave and strong you were in your memory of that plant ghost's invasion. You've grown into a fine young man and I'm just sad that I missed it. You're not a little boy I need to protect all the time anymore. You're still my baby Danny, but I understand now that you can fight your own battles now. But your father and I will always be here if you need back-up alright," Maddie resumed, her pale purple eyes filling with proud tears. Danny blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck invisibly. It felt strange to hear his mother talking about how he was her baby, but it warmed his very core to hear the pride in her voice. Before he was taken by the Guys in White, that pride was hard to come by, what with his grades in the toilet and his apparent disregard for the school's and her house rules.

"Thanks mom," Danny croaked, his voice choked with emotion.

Maddie smiled at the voice, wishing she could see her son's face right now.

"Then I saw how much you went through with the Guys in White. Sweetie… I'm so sorry you went through that. I hate those monsters more than ever. I still don't understand exactly why you won't let Batman shut down that horrible organisation, but I do understand now that you are mature enough to make that decision yourself. You do know what you're doing and I'm so proud of you for recovering so much. I love you Danny. So much," Maddie continued, proud, happy tears flowing down her face, her voice cutting out with emotion. She gasped as she felt someone hug her, and she smiled when she felt a slight wetness on her neck. Her son was crying too.

She knew that he had always feared going to her. She knew that she could be over-bearing with her protectiveness. But whenever she knew her children were in danger, something snapped inside her and she didn't care what anyone thought. She wouldn't rest until she had her children in her arms, safe and sound. If something endangered her children that she could fight, she would fight it until her dying breath. Bullies at school, she would do everything in her power to make sure that bully never touched her children again. But now… Jazz was growing up. She was a young woman with determination and ambition. Her son was a hero and one of the strongest people she had ever met. She didn't have to protect him anymore, he could fight his own battles and win. But she would always be there if he needed back-up to win the battle or even just to ease the fight.

She knew she looked ridiculous. Crying at a fountain, rocking as she held air, shushing her invisible, crying son gently. But… she simply didn't care. This moment was precious. She would hold on to it for as long as she could. Besides, this was Amity Park and she was a Fenton. Being weird was almost normal now. Gradually Danny pulled away, sniffing loudly.

"Thanks mom. I'm glad you think that. I'm sorry that I hid this from you and dad for so long. It was stupid," Danny mumbled, still maintaining his invisibility.

"Sweetie, I understand why you hid so much from us. We do get a little… fixated," Maddie replied. Danny snorted.

Maddie smirked and reached out to running her fingers through her son's invisible hair. Danny leaned into the touch, humming softly in content. He had missed this closeness with his mother. Ever since he got his powers, he had been frightened to let his mother this close. What if she noticed he wasn't fully human? What if she smelt the smoke or blood from his most recent fight? What if she felt his racing heart? What if something on her clothes from her latest project hurt him? He couldn't afford to be close in case she learned the truth and he had been terrified of what that could mean for him. Part of him had always rationalised that his mother loved him and that would never change. But another part, the irrational, primal fear lodged firmly in his mind had dreamt up so many horrible nightmares where she disowned him, captured him and then tortured him because she couldn't accept his ghost half. But now… it felt so good to be able to let his mother be his parent again. To let down his barriers and have a special moment with her.

Maddie gently pulled her son into a second embrace which he happily returned before they returned to the assault vehicle where Danny announced that he should be heading back to the team and the cave. He gave Jazz, Tucker, Sam and Maddie quick hugs, asked them to call if anything happened and to keep him informed on his father. He also whispered in Jazz's ear to keep an eye on Valerie for him which the older girl agreed to. Then he phased out of the vehicle and flew to Fenton Works. As he guessed, the Bioship and the team were there waiting for him.

"Where did you go?" Robin asked, gesturing that the house was empty.

"Yeah, Jazz came here but she left a few minutes later," Zatanna agreed.

"Hospital. My dad broke his leg remember. Mom wanted him to get it checked out so she drove straight there. I stayed out of sight though and didn't go in," Danny answered.

"Ah right. That makes sense," Robin muttered in understanding.

"Wally and Artemis on the Bioship?" Danny inquired.

"Yeah. He's still pretty out of it," Zatanna confirmed.

"Probably will be for a day or two. When your mind snaps, it takes a while for it to get back together enough to make sense of things," Danny remarked. Robin and Zatanna nodded, frowning at the memory of how Danny had acted after being rescued from the Light.

"We should get back to the cave. Batman's gonna be ticked enough about Dani and Gar tagging along," Danny decided, he was ready to leave, knowing in his heart that he would be back to his home and maybe next time would be his return to Amity Park, permanently.

**So Danny's feeling optimistic for the future but will he get back home?**

**Will Wally and Sam be okay after their traumatic trip into Danny's memories?**

**How angry will Batman be once the team finally gets back?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	128. Chapter 128

Batman was furious. There was no other word for it. Danielle and Garfield shrank under his glare, wincing at his growled reprimands. Danny was with Black Canary and Wally, helping the psychologist coax the speedster into the cave and into a spare bedroom. Wally would be staying at the cave for the next few days, just until he recovered from what happened. Danny left shortly after Wally got settled on the soft bed so that Black Canary could talk to the speedster in privacy. He went to the kitchen and dropped into a seat beside Zatanna and Robin who were watching M'gann make a platter of sandwiches and tea.

"She's baking a batch of cookies for Wally," Robin informed Danny as the halfa joined them. Danny nodded.

"Good idea. Wally loves M'gann's cooking," Danny remarked.

"How are you doing though Danny?" Zatanna ventured.

"I'm fine," Danny assured them.

"What's with the ice on your hand?" Robin inquired, not having mentioned it before due to his internal thoughts on Danny's memories.

"Broken finger. It's fine. But Tuck was worried so I made a splint," Danny explained.

"Shouldn't you get it checked out?" Robin pointed out. Danny shrugged uncaringly. He may have been better with his PTSD triggers but he did prefer to avoid the medical facility when it wasn't necessary. Robin and Zatanna frowned at the halfa but decided not to push the matter.

"Do you guys want to talk about anything you saw?" Danny asked. Robin and Zatanna exchanged wary glances.

"How did you survive so much? And I don't mean the Guys in White. I mean everything. The accident, that future, Undergrowth and then the Guys in White and the Light," Zatanna murmured with a shake of her head. She couldn't imagine going through so much, but Danny had and he hardly showed it, especially recently. Danny shrugged.

"I just did what I had to. The accident was… I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, it was horrible. I was terrified of how my family would react. It hurt. More than anything I can remember, even some of those experiments the Guys in White did. But I just… got over it. I had to you know. It was either cope or fall apart. And I couldn't fall apart because Sam and Tucker needed someone to be strong for them and the same for me. We supported each other through the first month or so and then I realised that my powers could be used for good. I could protect them and my family and my town from ghosts. I… became a hero without meaning to," Danny recalled. Robin and Zatanna blinked at the halfa, M'gann slowing her food preparation to listen attentively.

"Then… the Guys in White happened. Heh. I admit, not falling apart wasn't easy. Especially without Sam or Tuck beside me to help me stay strong. So thanks for saving me. After the Light though… I really did break and it was hard to put myself together because… I never had to before. I was used to holding myself together and pushing forward. When I broke, I couldn't do that. I had to stop and re-evaluate everything and I found my centre again. I remembered why I became a hero and that's helped me to recover. So… I survived it all because… I guess because I couldn't fail my family or my friends. I had people depending on me to keep it together when they couldn't. Does that answer your question?" Danny resumed, scratching behind his ear nervously, he hadn't meant to expose so much of his inner thinking to his team mates. Zatanna, M'gann and Robin smiled at him and nodded.

"Any other things from your past we should probably know?" Robin inquired with a slight chuckle. Danny smirked and shrugged.

"Probably," Danny replied, half-joking, half-seriously. Robin snorted good-naturedly.

Garfield and Danielle slunk into the room and collapsed into chairs, looking a little traumatised from Batman's scolding.

"You survived then," Robin remarked with a smirk.

"Barely. Remind me never to make Batman angry again," Danielle muttered with a slight shudder. Danny laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"If I need to remind you, then it's too late Dani," Danny chuckled. Danielle scowled at him before she spotted his icy splint.

"Shouldn't you be in the medical facility with Red Tornado," Danielle retorted.

"It's fine. It'll be healed by tomorrow night," Danny assured her. Danielle raised an eyebrow.

"You're not a doctor Danny. I know you're just avoiding the medical facility and you know it too. I'll go with you," Danielle challenged. Danny frowned in distaste.

"I'll go too," Garfield offered. Danny huffed, rolling his eyes as he stood up.

"Fine. You're not gonna give up until I go," Danny grumbled. Danielle smirked as she hopped to her feet and Garfield followed the halfas out of the kitchen.

"I remember when Danny completely freaked out at the idea of going to the medical facility," Robin reminisced with a smile that Zatanna and M'gann shared, it warmed the hearts of the entire team when they saw how much Danny had recovered.

Danny paused at the medical facility threshold. He swallowed down his unease and pushed forward into the room. Danielle and Garfield saw the hesitation but didn't comment on it. They knew better. Garfield jumped on to a nearby bed and Danielle followed Danny to the bed which had been his for the first few months of his time in the cave. It was his favourite place in the medical facility. It was the spot he learnt he had been saved from his hell with the Guys in White. It made going to the dreaded room easier for him.

"Um, shouldn't we get Red Tornado?" Garfield ventured. Danny sighed.

"Press that button by the door. It's connected to RT directly," Danny instructed. Garfield blinked before gracefully rolling off his bed and pressed the button Danny pointed out.

Garfield returned to his seat on one of the beds. Danielle nibbled her lip while she fiddled with her white glove. She was still trapped in her ghost form and Danny believed that the gun effects should last a day or so.

"Danny… what exactly happened today? I mean we heard some of the stuff and saw how you reacted but… what happened?" Danielle ventured.

"Yeah. I mean Wally looks terrible and Raquel's been quiet. And loads of them are giving you weird looks," Garfield interjected with a nod. Danny sighed.

"That ghost, Recuerda. She's the ghost of memory. She can bring memories to life or take them from you. She said that taking the memory lets her feel what it was like to be alive. I dunno how exactly. But she wanted my memories. That's what happened to dad. She made a memory illusion that only he could see but the illusion could interact with the world and hurt him. The memory was of Vlad and he got blasted into a tree, broke his leg," Danny began, slightly reluctantly.

"What happened to the ghost?" Danielle interrupted.

"Gave the thermos to Jazz. She'll deal with it," Danny answered.

"So… that ghost made everyone see your memories?" Garfield asked after a brief silence. Danny nodded.

"Look, up here. There's a lot of bad. And Recuerda made the memory seem so real. Like you were re-living it for the first time. Every thought, every feeling. That's hard to fight. Especially since the others didn't know really what I've been through," Danny explained, knocking the side of his head gently.

"Why was Wally so upset?" Danielle inquired, having not been told the memory the speedster endured.

"He er… he was trapped in my memory of the punishment the Guys in White gave me after I used my ghostly wail. He… couldn't handle it," Danny answered carefully. Garfield and Danielle shared an alarmed look. Both of them remembered how Danny had reacted after he was rescued from the Light, who had replicated that terrible punishment to try and break Danny.

A few moments later, Red Tornado walked into the medical facility.

"What is the problem?" the android questioned.

"Broken finger. They want me to get it checked out," Danny informed Red Tornado, holding up his icy splint. Red Tornado nodded and stared at the injured hand for a moment.

"It is a clean break. With your healing rate, it should be healed within two days. However, I can replace your ice splint with a proper one if you wish," Red Tornado reported. Danny shrugged.

"Probably would be better to have a proper splint rather than my ice on it. At least that way I won't leave water everywhere or make anyone cold by touching it," Danny replied. Red Tornado gave a curt nod before leaving Danny to gather everything needed to make a splint for Danny's broken finger.

"How did you break your finger anyway?" Danielle wondered, deciding to drop the subject of what happened that day for now. It was obvious that Danny wasn't comfortable talking about it in depth and Danielle wasn't going to force him.

"Recuerda. In that bubble thing, she grabbed my hand and squeezed hard enough to break it," Danny admitted as the android returned and set to work treating the injury. Red Tornado was nearly finished when Batman came into the room. The Dark Knight still looked angry but his voice was measured and calm.

"There you are Danny. I'll need you to write a report on what happened today. You too, Danielle, Garfield. Since the team got split up a great deal during the impromptu mission, I will need everyone to write a report on what they experienced. Will you be able to with your injury?" Batman instructed, spotting and nodding at Danny's injured hand. Danny blinked and glanced down at his hand before biting his lip uncertainly. He wasn't sure if he would be able to hold a pen and write with his broken finger.

"If I can't, I'll be healed pretty soon anyway. I'll have it ready for you before the end of next week," Danny decided with a nod. Batman's lip twitched in a slight smirk before nodding and turning on his heel to leave.

Once Red Tornado was finished, Danny thanked the android and happily left the medical facility. It didn't take long to find Conner and Kaldur who were both in the hanger. Conner was rubbing Wolf and Kaldur was giving Cujo attention in order to avoid a fight between the canines. Cujo spotted Danny first and with a bark, scrambled out of Kaldur's arms and sprinted over to the halfa. Danny chuckled at the ghostly puppy. He crouched down to give Cujo a belly rub before continuing on towards his team mates, Cujo yipping excitedly around his feet, jumping up to lick and nibble Danny's fingers on Danny's uninjured hand.

"Hey," Danny called unnecessarily.

"Danny," Kaldur returned with a friendly nod and smile.

"How are you two? I mean after being in those memories," Danny asked.

"I have great respect for you Danny. It's easy for me to forget that you are an experienced solo hero but you do know what you're doing," Kaldur confessed. It was going to take some time to get used to the idea of how terrifying Danny's past could be.

"I'm not sure. I'm not used to feeling that kind of fear or even pain. My skin is invincible and my go to emotion is anger," Conner mumbled without looking up. Danny nodded in understanding.

"I get that. If you do need to talk, you can come to me or Black Canary," Danny offered. Conner glanced up and gave Danny a grateful nod and smile.

**Just a chapter showing everyone winding down and taking stock of what they saw and what happened.**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	129. Chapter 129

Over the next couple of days, Danny went around the team, checking on his teammates after such an ordeal. He encouraged Raquel to speak with Black Canary after she revealed how shaken she was by her experience of Danny's memories. Especially the one she got trapped in which had upset her greatly. Artemis was more concerned about Wally than her own experience as she had quickly realised and understood what was happening but she was grateful for the chance to clarify things with Danny. Conner had also found himself having nightmares after experiencing Danny's memory and had gone to Black Canary for help coming to terms with it. Sam had taken Danny's offer on board and rang Danny during the night after her nightmares, often crying and still in a state of panic. Danny soothed her and spoke with her until she was calm enough to put down the phone and maybe go back to sleep.

However today was the day that Wally would leave his temporary bedroom to try and return to his normal life. Danny was sitting with Danielle at the kitchen table beside Artemis. The archer was wringing her hands, anxious to see her boyfriend again.

"Artemis, calm down. Everything will be fine," Danny muttered.

"I know but I just really want this to go well. I'm worried about him," Artemis whispered.

"Artemis, trust me when I say that Wally will want this to go well just as much as you do," Danny assured her with a smile. Danielle frowned at him and Artemis looked up from her fidgeting hands. Danny sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm speaking from experience," Danny confirmed.

The room fell silent as Black Canary and Wally appeared in the doorway. Wally crossed one arm across his body to hold his other elbow anxiously.

"Hey Wally, you're looking a lot better. Sleep well?" Danny greeted, knowing how nerve-wracking those first couple of minutes could be. Wally blinked in surprise before smiling hesitantly and nodding.

"Erm, better than last night anyway," Wally mumbled. Danny nodded encouragingly. Wally edged carefully into the room.

"I made cookies and cupcakes Wally. Help yourself," M'gann mentioned and pointed to a plate on the counter. Wally glanced at the food and smiled gratefully before crossing the room and grabbing a cupcake for himself. He nibbled on the treat as others helped themselves to the plate. Danny stepped across the room to stand beside Wally.

"You can be honest with me Wally. How are you coping?" Danny mumbled. Wally glanced at the halfa before swallowing the mouthful of cupcake and sighing.

"It's exhausting. I can't sleep. I'm always worried. But I think I'm coping. Dude, I can't say how much I'm impressed by you. I mean you never showed it," Wally mumbled, glancing up and giving Danny a weak smile.

"Trust me Wally, I had my bad days too. Especially during the first few days. You're doing good," Danny assured with a warm smile and slight shrug. Wally returned a hesitant smirk. Over the course of the afternoon, the team reconnected and Wally relaxed a lot more. They played games, watched movies and ate plenty of food. It was an enjoyable day all in all.

Over the rest of the week, Wally slowly regained his confidence and joined Red Tornado's lessons with Garfield, Danielle and Danny before returning home that weekend and returning to school the following week. Things returned to normal. Danny continued to push himself and even went to the zoo with Black Canary to see the gorillas. He managed to stand his ground and stay calm despite his thundering heart and tense body. The team went on a couple of missions. One was to guard a prisoner transfer from one prison to Belle Reve. The other was a drugs bust with Scarecrow and Penguin in Gotham.

It was the end of March when something big happened. Danny was sitting with Conner and Garfield as they watched the television. Garfield grabbed the remote with a huff.

"How can you like this stuff? It's stupid," Garfield complained. Danny rolled his eyes.

"It's funny," Danny retorted.

"It's dumb," Conner grunted. Danny slumped back in his seat.

"Alright. Find something else then. Not a zoo documentary," Danny replied. Garfield moaned as he turned over from a very staged ghost sighting programme. Garfield started channel flicking with a bored expression as he leant on the couch arm. Suddenly Conner leant forward and cried out in surprise.

"Go back! Go back! What was that?" Conner ordered. Danny glanced at the clone with concern as Garfield obediently flicked back a few channels.

"- alien but it has yet to be confirmed. Anyone with information should call this number. Back to you Kate," a male reporter on the news concluded. Danny's eyes widened in alarm as a blurry picture of Vlad Plasmius and a phone number appeared on the screen beside the reporter before a desk and a woman with perfectly styled red hair replaced them.

"Wasn't that Vlad Plasmius?" Garfield asked, stunned. Danny nodded.

"I need to look into this," Danny muttered before he stood up and marched to his bedroom and grabbed his laptop and pulled out his phone to call Tucker.

"Hey dude," Tucker greeted cheerily.

"Tuck, I just saw the end of a news story on Vlad's ghost half. What's going on?" Danny asked, wearing a serious scowl.

"What!? I didn't know anything about that. But come to think of it, Vlad hasn't been around Amity Park for a while now. I'll look into it," Tucker retorted.

"Thanks Tuck. I'm doing the same here," Danny replied. Danny put down the phone on speaker beside him on the bed as he propped his laptop on his knees. For the next few minutes the bedroom was filled with nothing but keyboard keys clacking and mouse clicks.

"Dude?!" Tucker called.

"I'm here. I put you on speaker," Danny answered, pausing in his own internet search for answers.

"It turns out that Vlad's been sighted all over America and even in a couple of cities overseas the last few months. They've only just gotten pictures yesterday because Vlad was in New York and someone caught him on camera. There's a load of online conspiracy theories. Some think Vlad's another alien race trying to be the next big hero, like Martian Manhunter did. Some think that Vlad's an alien scouting Earth for invasion. It's funny, but as far as I've seen no one's guessed he's a ghost," Tucker reported.

"Any link between the places he's been spotted?" Danny inquired.

"Not that I can see dude. But I can look into it and send you a list of sightings," Tucker offered.

"Please. Vlad's not normally this sloppy," Danny concluded before exchanging a few pleasantries and hanging up.

Danny scowled worriedly at the news report he found, gazing at the blurry picture of the oldest halfa. It didn't make any sense. Vlad was always careful. The most Vlad used his ghost half for was business in the Ghost Zone and to do illegal stuff in the Real World but he was never caught on camera. Danny had even looked up Vlad's ghost half online and Tucker even dove into old archives for evidence of Vlad's ghost half back when they first learned of Vlad's existence. Neither of them found anything. And now, Vlad's ghost half had been seen in numerous cities, not just in America but abroad too. It didn't make much sense and it made Danny very suspicious and concerned. He considered the option of bringing Batman into the mystery. The greatest detective in the world would be able to puzzle out what Vlad was up to. However, the problem was, getting Batman to look into the older halfa could endanger Vlad's human identity. And if Batman figured out the connection between Vlad Masters and Vlad Plasmius because Danny asked the man to look into it, it would effectively be Danny's fault. And Danny knew that Vlad would find out it was Danny's fault and that was just asking for trouble.

No. Danny couldn't include Batman. It's possible that to figure out what was going on, Batman would need to know Vlad's human identity also. Danny would have to rely on his own team back in Amity Park to find out what was happening with the fruit loop. But Conner and Garfield were going to be curious. Which meant that Danny would need an explanation for them, which he didn't have, and they'd want to get involved, which he wasn't sure he could risk. Should he tell them that he was looking into it still or say it was nothing? Should he ask them to keep this secret? He was part of the team and anything that affected him could impact on the others. Despite having had a secret hero identity from his family before, he didn't actually like lying to people. Especially not his family and friends. Danny chewed his lip. He wanted to include his team but he couldn't risk Vlad's secret.

There was a knock on his door. Danny looked up in surprise, startled out of his thoughts.

"Er, yeah!?" Danny shouted.

"It's us. Can we come in?" Garfield replied through the door.

"Uh, sure," Danny answered with a shrug despite Garfield not seeing. The door slowly opened and Garfield and Conner poked their heads in. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?" Danny asked.

"That's kinda what we want to know," Conner admitted. Danny sighed and waved them into his room.

"I dunno yet. I'm trying to figure out how much to tell everyone. I can't risk Vlad's secret because I don't doubt that he'd find out it's my fault if you guys figure it out because I included you in this. But… apparently he's been seen a lot the last couple of months. Tucker's looking into it for me right now," Danny explained.

"What's the big secret? It's not like us knowing will endanger him," Garfield pointed out with a pout.

"You never know Gar. Besides Vlad isn't exactly the trusting type. I know you guys wouldn't just tell everyone about him, but he doesn't. And… well he does have a reputation to keep for his human side and if word gets to the Guys in White, then it'll be really bad news. Vlad knows where both me and Dani are too. If the Guys in White torture it out of him, assuming they catch him, then we're all toast," Danny informed them with a grim smile and shrug.

"Do you think it's a big deal?" Conner asked.

"Yeah. Yeah I do. Vlad's careful. His ghost half isn't even widely known in Amity Park and he's there a lot. Usually fighting me. So for someone to take a picture and send it into the news… it's a big deal. I'm worried and honestly a bit suspicious too. The only reason I can think of him letting it happen would be to draw someone out, or to flush someone out of hiding. The only people he's interested in, are me, Dani and my family and friends, in Amity Park. As for ghosts, there's no point doing it here since most ghosts don't care about human news. He'd be better off going into the Ghost Zone and asking around, or getting Skulker to do it for him," Danny admitted with a frown. Conner hummed thoughtfully.

"So, it's big and you can't figure out what he's up to. Would you want help? Or need help?" Conner offered.

"Yeah, but I don't want you guys to get into trouble with him for learning his secret identity," Danny pointed out.

"Then we won't ask and we won't look," Garfield suggested.

"It's not that simple Gar. You might figure it out by accident. Or you might need to know to figure out what's going on. Personally I'd like to track Vlad down and ask him myself. That's the easiest way. Not necessarily straightforward or simple," Danny remarked with a thoughtful scowl.

"Well we're here if you need the back up. All of us. Just ask," Conner concluded with a smile. Danny smiled in return and nodded in understanding.

**Hmm… Vlad's ghost half has been spotted all over America and abroad for the last couple of months… any theories on what the fruit loop is up to?**

**And Wally's all better now. I couldn't let our favourite speedster stay in bed with a shattered mind. Wally is a hero, he's seen and experienced tough and distressing situations before. He's gonna fight.**

**And Sam's coping despite the occasional late night phone call.**

**But what could Vlad's antics mean for our favourite halfa? Can Danny figure out what's Vlad is up to?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	130. Chapter 130

The next day Danny was still trying to figure out what Vlad was doing while eating dinner with everyone living in the cave. But Danny was lost in his thoughts and theories as he played with his food absently. Suddenly the theme song of the ghostbusters erupted from his pocket and Danny scrambled to grab his phone. Everyone looked to him curiously as he hastily excused himself to answer the call from Tucker. He stepped out of the room and then walked down the hall out of earshot, hopefully also out of Conner's earshot.

"Hey Tuck. What did you find out?" Danny asked.

"Dude, are you near a TV?" Tucker retorted urgently. Danny blinked before marching back to the kitchen and living room.

"I can be. What am I looking for?" Danny answered.

"Channel 8 news," Tucker replied. Danny stepped into the room and switched on the television, ignoring the looks from everyone still eating. He flicked through the channels until he found the news Tucker informed him of. He gasped in alarm. The news was showing Vlad Plasmius fighting a horde of Guys in White agents in the middle of Central Park in New York. The others sitting around the table turned to watch as well.

"Tuck, is this live?" Danny inquired, having neglected to turn up the volume.

"No. It happened yesterday," Tucker told his friend grimly.

"Crud," Danny breathed.

"How do you want to play this?" Tucker wondered.

"Give me a minute to think," Danny requested as he swept a hand through his messy hair.

Danny chewed his lip as he started pacing, still holding the phone to his ear. He couldn't get his family and friends involved. The Guys in White were government agents and he didn't want them to get into trouble with the government. They could get arrested or something worse. So that left the team but could he risk involving them too? Danny glanced at the news but the screen had switched to a weatherman with the weekly forecast. He wasn't sure if it was wise to go after Vlad alone and he couldn't ask Danielle to go. He certainly couldn't send Batman. Batman might find Vlad in his human form. Danny turned to the table, finding Danielle's gaze.

"Dani, how do you want to play this?" Danny asked.

"Is she there?" Tucker realised. Danielle frowned and looked at the television.

"He wouldn't go after either of us," Danielle muttered.

"I know. But I'm not sure what to suggest. I can't just leave him but I don't want to go alone. If Vlad's human, that's his secret up in smoke too," Danny explained. Danielle sighed.

"If you were in Vlad's position, would you prefer to lose your secret but be saved or to be left there for the Guys in White to do what they liked?" Danielle retorted. Danny glanced at the television.

"Saved," he mumbled. Danielle nodded.

"Okay. But let's do damage control. Tuck, you guys stay in Amity Park. See what you can do there but don't do anything too illegal. I don't want you getting into trouble," Danny decided, coming to a decision.

"Sure thing dude. Call me if you need me for anything," Tucker concluded before hanging up. Danny dropped his phone into his pocket.

"Anyone up for an unsanctioned mission?" Danny asked with a grim frown.

"What are you planning?" Conner inquired as Zatanna got her phone out and texted Artemis.

"I wouldn't normally ask. But I have to go after Vlad. I know he didn't go after me, but I can't just leave him. But I also really don't want to go there alone. I'll be outnumbered and will get overwhelmed. I know I will. So I'd like some back up. But whoever comes will be getting in trouble with Batman, because let's face it, he'll know what we did," Danny answered.

Everyone around the table glanced at each other before nodding to Danny.

"We're with you Danny," Zatanna decided.

"Gar, Dani. You two aren't coming," Danny decided. He didn't want to endanger Danielle and Garfield didn't understand what was at stake, plus he didn't want the two non-team members getting into trouble on his account. Batman might be lenient with the team but if Danielle and Garfield came, then everyone would be in trouble. Garfield complained while Danielle frowned, uncertain if she was grateful for the free pass or angry that she was being left behind.

"Gar, you're not on the team. You're not fully trained. This is really dangerous. If things go wrong, I might get caught by the Guys in White again, the team might get arrested by the government, our actions reflect on Batman and the Justice League by extension. I'm sorry Gar, but you can't come," Danny explained.

"What about Dani then?" Garfield pointed out angrily.

"She knows the reasons I have for leaving her here. She'll tell you them if you really want to know," Danny retorted.

"When do you want to leave Danny?" Conner inquired, hoping to change the subject.

"Once everyone who's coming is here and ready. I don't want to leave Vlad in their clutches for too long," Danny answered.

It took less than an hour for the team to gather in the cave. Robin took the longest as he had to wait for a good opportunity to leave Wayne Mansion without anyone suspecting anything. But once everyone was ready, they were on the Bioship and in the air. Robin got on to locating Vlad in the Guys in White databases, having had a lot of practice in the past in looking for captive halfas. It took over half an hour for Robin to locate a Guys in White base in New Jersey where they'd taken Vlad to. It took a further hour for the Bioship to reach their destination.

Aqualad turned to Danny once the Bioship was parked in camouflage mode.

"Danny, you take point on this mission. You know how to handle these guys and Vlad," Aqualad decided. Danny smiled gratefully. Danny had constructed a disguise of a dark hoodie and cargo pants for the mission and to remain in human form. There was a very good reason for this. Firstly, the Guys in White base might have ghost related alarms installed which his ghost form would easily trigger but his human form mightn't. Secondly, he didn't want it to be immediately obvious who he was. In his ghost form, he was easily recognisable as Phantom which would be on file as a halfa. Without a disguise, he risked his family if an outsider watched but he also risked tipping Guys in White agents off to the fact that he was a halfa. He also hoped to hide the fact that he was mentally stable and back into crime fighting if the Light looked into Vlad or the rescue team, whether they were successful or not.

Danny flipped his hood up and tighten the strings as much as possible. He took a deep breath before leading the way out of the Bioship.

"_Rob, have you got eyes in the base_?" Danny asked telepathically using the mind link Miss Martian set up earlier.

"_Give me a sec_," Robin answered and began tapping on his gauntlet. Danny pursed his lips and turned to Miss Martian.

"_M'gann, could you scout the area from above? I'd do it too but I want to avoid being detected for as long as possible_," Danny requested. Miss Martian gave a curt nod and entered her camouflage mode before flying up above the building.

"_I think leaving a back-up team behind is a good idea. Conner, Kaldur, Zatanna and Wally. You guys stay back. Wally, you can scout the area regularly. Kaldur, you can lead the back-up team. If we go down, I'll send a mental image of Vlad's human form. Please don't use it to find his human form. I want to avoid you guys learning that if I can_," Danny explained, glancing at the four teens in question. They all gave quick nods in understanding.

Miss Martian returned and gave a quick report that there were patrols around the building but it didn't look well protected from above. Robin announced minutes later that he was in the system and informed Danny that there was a ghost shield.

"It shouldn't affect me while I'm human," Danny muttered, hoping that the Guys in White hadn't figured out how to make a human/ghost shield or a ghost shield targeting specific ecto-signatures. If they had made an ecto-signature specific shield, even in human form, he would be locked out.

Miss Martian and Robin went ahead. Danny turned himself, Rocket and Artemis invisible. Danny winced as they passed through the shield feeling a sharp tingle of discomfort as he was using his powers. Once they reached the building, they waited beside a door where they found Robin. Robin was picking the lock and Miss Martian was keeping watch. It didn't take long before the rescue team were in the building. Danny frowned as he scrambled to figure out the next stage in the master plan he had yet to think of.

"_Rob, any ideas on where they'd keep Vlad_?" Danny muttered telepathically. Robin tapped on his gauntlet and brought up a holographic map.

"_There's two possibilities. Here. Or there_," Robin admitted as he pointed at two places on the map. Both locations were deep in the complex and far apart from each other. Danny scowled in thought. They had limited time. Both times the team had sent a rescue team after someone in the Guys in White clutches, they hadn't gotten in and out without triggering an alarm. Keeping that in mind, Danny knew they had to be smart about their time. And that meant they had to split up. He wasn't happy about that because he wanted to be the one to deal with Vlad when they found the older halfa. With a sigh, he resigned himself to that fact and decided to try and figure out the best team to search for Vlad without him.

"_M'gann, Raquel. You two go to that location. The rest of us will go to the other one. Vlad's human form is prematurely grey. It happened because of his accident. He should be well dressed too. A suit or something_," Danny decided. The two heroines nodded and at the next fork, they branched away from Artemis, Robin and Danny.

"How are you doing?" Artemis whispered, giving Danny a concerned glance.

"I'm doing okay. So far, I haven't felt nervous or scared or anything like that. I'm just concerned about how Miss Martian and Rocket are going to cope with Plasmius. He's kinda got a bad temper, prone to throwing ghost rays at people he doesn't like. I'm just hoping that Rocket's shields will protect them," Danny muttered with a worried grimace.

"They'll be fine Ph-" Robin began.

"No, don't call me that. I want to avoid that title here in case they figure out who I am. Use er… clueless one. It's my com name back home," Danny requested. Robin and Artemis blinked in surprise.

"Clueless one? Why are you called that?" Artemis wondered.

"I honestly have no idea," Danny confessed with a confused frown. Artemis smirked.

"Who gave you the name?" Robin inquired.

"Erm, I want to avoid names. But not the friend I was on the phone with earlier," Danny answered carefully. Artemis and Robin shared a smirk.

**Which team will find Vlad?**

**How will they find him? Prisoner or mastermind playing the bait in a trap?**

**Will they get out without being spotted by the Guys in White?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	131. Chapter 131

It took twenty minutes of careful sneaking, but they reached the room Robin pointed out. Danny chewed his lip before he decided to phase in alone while invisible. He edged into the room and scanned his surroundings cautiously. He licked his lips before he noticed soft banging.

"Butter biscuits," a voice hissed. Danny rolled his eyes and followed the grunts of frustration and unique cursing.

"Hey fruit loop," Danny called as he turned himself visible. Vlad cried out in surprise and pulled his hands to his chest. He was in his human form with both his hands bound by glowing green handcuffs.

"Da-" Vlad began.

"Shh! Call me clueless one. I'm trying to stay incognito. Hence this," Danny interrupted and gestured to his human disguise. Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"Clueless one?" Vlad repeated.

"It's my com codename. I have no idea why," Danny elaborated with a shrug. Vlad sniffed dismissively.

"I'm not calling you by some childish joke of a codename little badger," Vlad decided. Danny scowled in annoyance.

"Fine, but only because of this. But I see you blew your secret," Danny commented.

Vlad scowled at Danny before blowing a strand of silver hair out of his eyes.

"I may have misjudged those buffoons' competence. Although, I didn't intend to catch the Guys in White's attention," Vlad admitted.

"Whose attention were you trying to get?" Danny wondered.

"The Light," Vlad confessed with an almost apologetic frown. Danny blinked in confusion.

"What? Why?" Danny questioned.

"They hurt you. I know how strong you are little badger. And they drove you to insanity. We may have our differences, but I do care about you. We are well… badgers and ugh fruit loops are of the same cloth," Vlad answered with a shrug. Danny frowned in confusion.

"I have no idea what you're trying to say fruit loop," Danny retorted. Vlad rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration.

"I can't explain my reasons freely while we're both here. Although, it was foolish of you to come after me alone," Vlad reprimanded.

"Who said I was alone?" Danny remarked with a smirk. Vlad blinked in confusion before narrowing his eyes.

"You've been telling tales?" Vlad accused.

"Dude, you were on the news. I didn't _have_ to tell tales, but I've haven't used names," Danny pointed out, folding his arms and raised an eyebrow. Vlad sighed before nodding and holding out his bound hands.

"Alright, get these off and we can both get out of here," Vlad concluded. Danny frowned.

"I don't think so. You have to ask. Properly. Because my friends asked you and you refused," Danny reminded the man, feeling miffed by the lack of gratitude Vlad was displaying. Vlad blinked before nodding.

"Very well. Please get me out of here and take these cuffs off little badger," Vlad drwaled, his tone sounding like he was reciting something he read. Danny folded his arms and pretended to consider the request.

"Nope. Not enough. Try again," Danny decided, knowing secretly that it didn't matter how Vlad asked, Danny would still save the man. He would never leave someone to the fate he suffered at the hands of the Guys in White during the summer the previous year. Vlad stared at Danny incredulously.

"What do you want from me? You want me to beg? I can assure you, that's not happening," Vlad retorted.

"Alright, have fun with the scientists," Danny bluffed as he turned to leave.

"You're not that heartless little badger," Vlad called after the teen.

"True, but why should I risk my neck for you when you didn't for me? We haven't triggered any alarms. If I leave you, they'll never be the wiser," Danny countered. Was it really that hard for Vlad to be sincere and grateful? Vlad frowned.

"You're already here little badger," Vlad argued.

"So? I can just sabotage a few weapons or maybe release a few grateful ghosts. Far more rewarding," Danny pointed out.

"You want a reward? Alright, I'll pay for your college tuition. Your sibling's too," Vlad offered. Danny scowled with disgust at the older halfa.

"When I said rewarding I didn't mean money fruit loop. I want nothing like that from you," Danny growled, insulted.

"Then what do you want!?" Vlad exclaimed frustrated.

"For you to be genuine! Honestly, is it so hard for you to say thank you? You read the reports. You know exactly what I'm risking being here. What I'm saving_ you_ from. You have done nothing but harm me and my loved ones. But the moment I knew you were in danger, I looked into it. When I knew these guys caught you, I organised a rescue effort. And I'm going to get in trouble for it too since I didn't ask the guy in charge for permission," Danny ranted, gesturing wildly with his arms.

Vlad blinked, taken aback by Danny's outburst. Danny panted before he growled in frustration and turned his back on the caged man.

"_Everything alright in there Danny? We heard raised voices_," Artemis asked over the mind link.

"_Yeah. Just peachy. Anything I should know about out there_," Danny retorted.

"_You're arguing again aren't you_?" Kid Flash commented.

"_Just making a point. I found Vlad and I'll let you know when we're ready_," Danny replied, trying to reign in his ire.

"Little badger?" Vlad called. Danny grunted in response.

"I apologise. You're right. You didn't have to come after me. However I can't in good conscience thank you because I'm not glad you came after me. You shouldn't have done. You risked too much. And you don't owe me this. Please, get these off me and let me help you get out of here safely, get us and your rescue team all out of here safely. Please, forgive an old proud fool," Vlad implored sincerely, watching at the back of Danny's head.

Danny sighed and turned back to the man. He scowled at the man before striding across the room.

"Was that really too hard?" Danny growled as he crouched down to examine the lock on the cage and tentatively touching the lock, wincing in anticipation suspecting it to be made of ecto-ranium. He hissed in pain when his fears were confirmed.

"I have to call in a couple of my friends. I want to avoid doing this the loud way," Danny warned, his voice still tight with anger and annoyance. Vlad pursed his lips before giving a stiff nod.

"I'd prefer they not see me like this but I understand you need help," Vlad grumbled. Danny gave the man a curt nod.

"_Rob, Artemis, need some help. The lock's ecto-ranium_," Danny requested over the mind link.

"_Sure you want us in there_?" Robin asked.

"_Me and Vlad had a conversation and I already warned him. Although, I would appreciate Vlad's identity not find its way to Batman_," Danny answered.

"_Okay. But you know what he's like. He's called the world's best detective for a reason_," Robin pointed out, his tone clearly indicating a shrug.

The door opened slowly and Robin and Artemis poked their heads in. Vlad scowled at them openly while both new comers gaped.

"Is that who I think it is?" Artemis whispered in shock.

"Depends on who you think it is. But probably. Let's avoid names for now though. Like I said, I'd rather you didn't learn his human name," Danny requested as he gestured to the lock. Robin shook his head to clear his thoughts before he crossed the room to start picking the cage lock.

"I appreciate that little badger," Vlad mumbled. Danny grunted in response.

"Little badger?" Artemis repeated.

"His pet name for me. F.Y.I., I don't like that nickname fruit loop," Danny elaborated.

"Likewise," Vlad retorted with a smug smirk.

It didn't take long for Robin to pick the cage lock and even less time to pick the lock on the handcuffs Vlad was wearing. Danny led the way out of the room and Robin gave directions to Danny using the map on his gauntlet. However they didn't make it far before things went wrong. A scientist stepped out of a lab into the corridor and spotted the group of four. Danny narrowed his eyes, recognising the scientist as the one that kept giving Danny sick reassurance during experiments. The scientist pulled out a phone from his lab coat and with a tap, the alarms were blaring throughout the complex. With another tap, the scientist turned to Danny and smirked cruelly.

"You're just like a bad penny. I knew you wanted to understand yourself just as much as I do. Come quietly and I'll make you comfortable during our search for understanding," the scientist offered. Vlad glanced at Danny in confusion while Artemis and Robin edged protectively in front of Danny. However, Danny didn't feel the way he did before. The last time he crossed paths with this man, he had been paralysed with fear and struck mute from the conditioning he received during the time he spent in captivity. Now, he felt nothing but anger and a need to get justice. Not revenge. That was important. He just wanted this man to face his crimes so that he could never do it again. To Danielle. To Vlad. To himself. To anyone.

Danny scowled and pushed past Artemis and Robin.

"You understand nothing. You don't understand me. You don't understand ghosts and you certainly don't understand what it means to be a human if you think you do. You tortured me. You would have tortured my friend before and my friend here now. You are cruel. And sadistic. I came back because I don't want anyone to go through what you did to me. I came back because… because I'm ready to bring you and this entire government section to justice. I am a member of Young Justice," Danny declared. The scientist frowned but made no move to either run away or attack.

"He's running down the clock," Vlad hissed in warning. Danny scowled and gave a quick nod.

With one decisive move, Danny charged at the scientist. The man gasped in alarm while Artemis and Robin blinked in shock. Danny jumped into the air and morphed into his ghost form, utilising his flight to back flip behind the scientist. Once he was behind the scientist, he grabbed the man's arms and constructed a band of sticky ectoplasm to bind the man.

"You're never gonna hurt anyone again," Danny snarled in the man's ear. The scientist chuckled and before Danny could rip the man's phone out of his hand, the scientist pressed one last button.

"Command received. Ecto-signature Phantom located. Seeking to apprehend," a cool female voice announced over the shrill blaring alarm. Danny blinked in alarm and turned to scan the corridor but he wasn't fast enough to avoid a blast of yellow energy. Danny cried out in surprised pain as he was thrown off his feet down the corridor, where he landed hard on his back.

The other three people peered past the smug scientist who scooped up his phone from the floor where Danny dropped it, having taken the device seconds too late, his hands freed from Danny's ectoplasm when the halfa lost focus. Artemis scowled as she grabbed her bow and an arrow and aimed at one of the new comers racing down the corridor. There were no less than five flying robots racing towards them. They had armoured plating and were as large as a sheep. They had numerous lens' on the front and a number of gun barrels, all aimed towards Danny as he staggered back to his feet.

"You're too predictable creature. We catch one of your kind and you come running. We knew once you learned that we caught Masters here, that you'd be here," the scientist gloated with a grin.

**Yeah, the Guys in White used Vlad as bait. But what will happen next?**

**Will Danny defeat the Guys in White with his team's help?**

**Will Vlad be a friend or enemy in the coming fight?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	132. Chapter 132

Miss Martian and Rocket were on their way out of the complex, checking every other room for captive ghosts as they went. They had stopped their journey towards the possible location for Vlad once they heard Danny found him. However they hadn't gotten near an exit when the alarms started screaming. Startled, they both darted to the nearest cover and readied themselves for a fight. Tense and alert, they didn't move. Suddenly "Command received. Ecto-signature Phantom located. Seeking to apprehend" a cool female voice announced. Miss Martian and Rocket locked fearful gazes as they rushed out of their hiding places.

"_Guys! Where's Danny?!_" Rocket exclaimed over the mind link.

"_I'm okay. Just got caught off guard_," Danny replied.

"_Get out of here then!_" Artemis ordered.

"_No. I want to finish this_," Danny refused.

"_Where are you? We'll give you back-up_" Miss Martian pressed insistently.

"_Here_," Robin retorted and sent a mental image of his holographic map with a dot depicting his own face at their location.

"_Do you need the rest of us to come in?_" Aqualad asked.

"_We'll be fine. Assuming Vlad gets off his butt,_" Danny growled in annoyance.

"_We're on our way_," Miss Martian decided, rolling her green eyes as she sensed Danny getting into an argument with the older halfa, again.

Danny scowled at Vlad as the man backed away from the ensuing fight between Robin, Artemis and the robots gunning for Danny.

"Would you get off your butt and help them!?" Danny shouted irately.

"My dear boy, you clearly haven't learned the art of assessing a battleground. How can you expect to win a fight if you aren't aware of what you are dealing with?" Vlad drawled, throwing an annoyed scowl at the younger halfa. Danny blinked before scowling with determination.

"There isn't always time for that," Danny growled as he rocketed forward to charge headfirst in the fight. His hands began to glow green as he neared the closest robot. With a shout of effort, he fired. However the blast didn't hit the robot critically like Danny had expected. The robot erected a rippling yellow shield around itself before something moved to slide out of the top. Danny gasped in alarm when he realised it was a speaker.

"Cover your ears!" Danny yelped as he clamped his hands over his own ears. Vlad cocked an eyebrow in confusion before a low tone cut through the air. Vlad grunted in pain as he rushed to copy Danny who was backing away from the robot.

Artemis spared a glance at Danny and Vlad before she notched an arrow and fired at the speaker, destroying it. Danny and Vlad sighed in relief before Vlad rounded on Danny.

"Are you a complete buffoon!? Those machines were constructed to fight, defeat and capture you. Stay away from them!" Vlad yelled.

"Well you do something then!" Danny retorted, gesturing at the robots. Vlad growled under his breath in frustration before he morphed into his ghost form and fired a pinkish red blast of ghost energy at the robot. The blast hit dead on, causing Vlad to smirk smugly. Danny frowned in confusion. Why had Vlad's shot hit the robot but Danny's hadn't? Danny turned to the scientist who had gotten trapped in a small alcove between rooms. Danny glanced around the corridor before zooming over to the scientist and grabbing the man's front roughly.

"What are those things?" Danny growled. The scientist chuckled.

"That, creature, is a project constructed using all the knowledge we collected on you during your time with us over the summer. It has been constructed to fight you perfectly in order to capture you for further study," the scientist gloated. Danny frowned as his gaze drifted over to Vlad. His eyes widened in understanding. The robot had deflected his attacks because it was keyed to recognise Danny's ecto-signature but it hadn't deflected Vlad's because it can't register his ecto-signature.

Danny scowled. How could he fight a machine that could deflect his unique energy? Then Danny's eyes widened in realisation. The scientist never got the chance to research and study his ice energy. The memory of the scientists' attempts still sent aches through his core. They also didn't study his vocal chords and maybe, just maybe, his ghostly wail would still work on these machines. They were long shots since it was still his ecto-signature, but they were specialised attacks that could work. Danny shoved the scientist back into the wall before he zoomed back over to Artemis and Robin. His neon green eyes shone bright blue as he pulled his ice powers into his hands.

"What are you doing Phantom?" Robin questioned distractedly.

"Testing a theory," Danny grunted as he fired. The blast of ice energy hit the robot dead on and the robot was encased in ice, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud crash, denting the flooring.

Danny grinned triumphantly and cheered his success. Artemis and Robin paused long enough to flash Danny an encouraging smirk before resuming their own barrage of attacks at the four other robots. Vlad had duplicated himself once and was firing almost non-stop at the approaching robots. Unfortunately the ice encased robot didn't stay down for long. The ice cracked and shattered around the robot allowing it to drift up into the air and resumed firing yellow energy at Danny and now Artemis and Robin beside him. Danny yelped in alarm as he retreated out of firing range. The scientist gave a bark of laughter.

"Nice try creature but we did anticipate a move like that," the scientist chuckled, before crying out in fear as Vlad threw a ghost ray at the man, missing by mere inches.

Danny gritted his teeth with frustration. The robots had been designed to take into account his ice powers. That meant they could probably withstand his ghostly wail. Danny bit his lip as he frantically tried to figure out a new way to use his powers. Something the Guys in White had never seen and couldn't have predicted. His gaze dropped to his hands. What about his new powers? Teleporting and telekinesis. Until now, Danny had never used his telekinesis on a mission. It wasn't reliable enough. It took a lot of concentration which would leave him wide open if someone attacked him. It could take a lot of energy from him and if he had to fight more than one robot, it could be too energy draining. But he had to try.

Danny took a deep breath before outstretching his hand towards the closest robot and focusing on his energy. Slowly and with utmost concentration he sent a tendril of ghost energy out towards the robot he picked. He struggled to remember to breathe as he focused on the energy snaking its way down the corridor before it encased the robot. Danny grunted with effort as he suddenly felt the weight of the robot his energy was manipulating. Sweat trickled down his forehead, down his cheek and into the collar of his jumpsuit. Gradually he turned the robot around and pushed his energy into the guns and with a shout, opened fire on the robots. The single robot Danny was controlling decimated the others. Danny released the robot, his limbs shaking with exhaustion, panting for breath and his vision spinning. He dropped to his knees as Rocket and Miss Martian rounded the corner.

"Phantom!?" Miss Martian exclaimed as she sped to Danny's side.

Rocket landed beside Artemis and Robin before she formed a kinetic shield around the remaining robot while Miss Martian grabbed Danny's shoulders to prevent the halfa falling to his side.

"_Danny! Danny, are you alright?! What happened_?!" Miss Martian shouted over the mind link.

"I'm… I'm okay. Just… just tired," Danny breathed.

"What happened?" Miss Martian pressed.

"_He used his telekinesis. Remember, it takes it out of him. Especially on big things like these robots_," Artemis interjected, glancing over her shoulder at Miss Martian holding a rapidly falling unconscious Danny.

The scientist scowled before he tapped a few keys on his phone.

"Protocol white mist activated. Initiating in three… two… one," a cool female voice announced. Vlad scowled suspiciously and turned to the scientist while the teens focused on Danny and the last remaining robot. He teleported to the man and grabbed him by the front of his lab coat.

"Give me that phone," Vlad snarled, realising that the scientist had to be behind the new protocol being activated. The scientist blinked at the halfa before dropping the phone to the ground and stamping his foot down, breaking the device. Vlad's red eyes shone with rage.

"I'm not Daniel. I will kill you," Vlad threatened.

"Try it," the scientist challenged with an infuriatingly smug smirk. Vlad's hands began to glow with ghost energy. However before Vlad could follow through with his threat, a blast of air flushed through the air vents and then a cloud of orange gas filled the room.

Vlad narrowed his eyes but he soon realised that something was wrong. His arms were growing heavy and couldn't respond to his will. Clumsily he let go of the scientist and turned around to check on Danny and his team mates. Artemis, Robin and Rocket were still fighting the robot, but their vision was impaired by the growing gas cloud. Miss Martian was holding Danny up as he slumped over. Unknown to Vlad, Danny was explaining what the gas was to his team mates. It was a specialised gas the Guys in White created through trial and error with him that would immobilise a ghost or halfa. They would remain conscious but be paralysed.

"_It lasts a couple of hours, give or take. Kaldur, don't move to rescue us until it's worn off. Try and get word to Vlad. Our powers will be paralysed too_," Danny explained telepathically.

"_What do you want us to do_?" Rocket asked.

"_Do what you think you should. I dunno what you'll be facing_," Danny decided.

"_Got it. Let us know when you get over that gas or if you need help. We might get separated_," Robin replied.

Slowly the gas receded to reveal Vlad on the ground, unmoving, and Danny slumped over, leaning against Miss Martian. The scientist smirked and dusted imaginary dust off his lab coat.

"I'd surrender if I were you. Invading a government building will not reflect well on you or your hero mentors. Guards will be here very soon. You can either be accomplices to two dangerous abominations and hindrances to the proper authorities, or I can tell everyone that you were true heroes, helping to take dangerous creatures off the streets to be properly detained," the scientist offered. Robin, Artemis, Rocket and Miss Martian glanced at each other before Robin turned away from the now destroyed robot.

"The only dangerous abomination I see is you. And as a member of Young Justice and Batman's protégé, you are under arrest," Robin declared, striking a heroic pose with his hands on his hips. The scientist pursed his lips in quiet anger moments before a horde of guards arrived.

"They're in league with those creatures. Apprehend them," the scientist ordered.

**It couldn't be too easy could it?**

**But the team still has their back up outside and the mind link with Danny.**

**But will Danny and Vlad regain the use of their limbs before the Guys in White and their scientists start working with them?**

**Will they all get out? **

**Will they need more help, like from Batman or the Fentons?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	133. Chapter 133

**Unfortunately when I posted yesterday's chapter, there was a slight mix up and instead of chapter 132, chapter 128 was uploaded to the story by mistake. **

**The error had been fixed now, so make sure to check the previous chapter before reading this one in case you read the wrong one.**

**Sorry about that mix up. It shouldn't happen again.**

Slowly Danny was able to wiggle his fingers again as the gas wore off.

"_The gas is starting to wear off. It takes about fifteen minutes before I'll be able to move properly_," Danny informed his team telepathically.

"_And you know this how_?" Rocket asked, her raised eyebrow apparent by her tone.

"_Experience_," Danny retorted with a mental sigh.

"_How's Vlad_?" Robin wondered, deciding to change the subject.

"_Grumpy_," Danny answered with an eye roll. He didn't need to be able to turn his head in order to hear the amount of infuriated growls and grunts from the older halfa as he struggled to move his body. Both halfas were strapped down to experimentation tables in a large lab while the scientists waited for the gas to wear off. The others were imprisoned in ghost-proof cages under constant watch. Although, the Guys in White weren't aware that Young Justice could easily break out of their cages as for now the heroes were co-operating until Danny gave them the signal to move.

"_What's the plan then_?" Aqualad inquired.

"_Still figuring it out. But if you guys attack the building and make a distraction then I'll break out of these bonds and grab Vlad. Rob and the rest break out at the same time and we'll fight our way out. If we can divide the Guys in White's attention, it'll be easier for us all to get out of here_," Danny replied.

"_Sounds like a good plan_," Artemis commented before the mind link fell silent. Danny sighed. Vlad growled a sound vaguely like Danny's name. Danny hummed in response. Vlad made a number of grunts and hums, trying to talk to the younger halfa. Danny rolled his eyes at the attempt. Danny made a loud, annoyed hum, cutting the older man off. After a further five minutes, Danny glanced around the room as much as he could without moving his head. Not seeing any cameras or observation windows, Danny subtly moved his mouth. He suppressed the smile of triumph and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. He wiggled his toes and carefully shifted his leg.

"_I can move_," Danny announced.

"_Then we move now_," Aqualad decided.

"Vlad, can you move?" Danny whispered. Vlad growled in annoyed disagreement. Danny sighed in annoyance.

"Great. Dead weight," Danny complained.

"_Have you started yet_?" Danny asked.

"_We're moving into position to start. Is something wrong_?" Kid Flash answered.

"_Kinda. I think either Vlad got a stronger dose or I'm recovering faster than him. He can't move_," Danny explained.

"_We can wait another few minutes_," Aqualad offered.

"_Okay. But I don't want to wait too long. The scientists know how long these things last on me and I don't want to be here when they come back_," Danny agreed.

"_Understood. But what are you gonna do if Vlad can't move still when we start_," Superboy wondered.

"_I'll figure something out_," Danny replied.

Five minutes later, Danny decided he couldn't afford to wait longer.

"Vlad, can you move?" Danny whispered again.

"A little," Vlad answered with difficulty. Danny sighed with relief.

"_Go now_," Danny ordered as he sat up as much as his restraints allowed. He scanned the room, spotting the door as well as numerous surgical instruments. Danny blew out a rough breath before he turned to his ghost proof restraints.

"Next problem. Getting up," Danny mumbled to himself.

"Talking about what you need to do isn't helping," Vlad growled.

"Shut up fruit loop. You're forgetting that I've been in this position before. I already know what doesn't work," Danny retorted. Vlad blinked at the ceiling in surprise. Danny frowned at the cuffs before glancing at a scalpel nearby.

"These cuffs are meant to stop my powers getting out. But maybe I can push my energy into them," Danny muttered before closing his eyes in concentration and used his telekinesis to manipulate the cuff locks. With an audible click, the cuffs opened and fell away from Danny's wrists. Danny grinned in triumph. Vlad stiffly turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw that Danny had freed himself.

Danny hopped down from his table and grabbed the scalpel he spotted. He crossed the room to Vlad and cut through the bonds.

"Couldn't you unlock them like you did yours?" Vlad pointed out while Danny sawed through the thick bonds.

"I need to conserve as much energy as possible. Telekinesis uses up a lot of energy," Danny admitted. Vlad hummed in understanding. When Danny finally cut through the bonds he helped heave Vlad to his feet. Vlad stumbled but Danny was quick to catch the man.

"You can't walk yet can you?" Danny realised.

"When you asked if I could move, I didn't realise you meant to this extent," Vlad confessed.

"Why can't things be easy? Just once," Danny muttered to himself with an eye roll.

"_Guys, we might be a little delayed but we're on our way_," Danny announced over the mind link.

"_Acknowledged. Keep us updated on your progress_," Aqualad replied.

Danny pulled Vlad's arm around his shoulders.

"Try to take as much weight as you can. We can't wait for you to be able to walk by yourself. Those scientists will be back soon enough," Danny requested as he helped Vlad stumble across the room.

"I must say little badger, you're surprising me. I would have thought that being in this situation again would affect you more than it is," Vlad admitted. Danny shrugged as he struggled to balance Vlad and opening the door.

"What can I say? I guess I'm finally getting over what happened," Danny retorted. Vlad glanced at Danny.

"I'm sorry I didn't help you," Vlad mumbled.

"Can we hold off on the sappy stuff until we're actually out of here," Danny asked as they stumbled down the corridor. Vlad grunted in agreement.

"Hey! Stop right there!" a man shouted down the corridor.

"Typical," Danny growled. He turned to Vlad.

"We have to either run or fight. Which do you think you can do?" Danny inquired. Vlad frowned before shakily lifting his hand up and summoning red sparks.

"Unfortunately little badger, I don't think I can do either," Vlad confessed.

"Then I'll fight," Danny decided, propping Vlad against a wall.

"Daniel, don't be ridiculous," Vlad hissed.

"I'll be fine V-man," Danny assured off-handedly before he turned to the guard and pulled ghost rays into his hands.

"We stopped. Now what?" Danny mocked threateningly. The guard faltered before lifting up an anti-ghost weapon.

"Surrender!" he ordered.

"Nah. I don't think so," Danny retorted before firing a blast of ghost energy at the man. The guard shrieked in alarm before diving to the ground. Before the man could scramble back to his feet, Danny had charged down the corridor to the guard and pinched a nerve on his neck. The guard slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"How-? Where did you learn that?" Vlad whispered.

"What do you think I've been doing while in protection?" Danny replied as he dragged the guard into a nearby room and hid him under a desk before returning to Vlad and helping the halfa down the corridor again. Vlad glanced at Danny, stunned by the younger halfa's actions.

"Daniel… I've never consider you a threat. I always thought of you as a little annoyance I needed to account for in my plans, nothing more than traffic slowing me down on my journey," Vlad began.

"Gee thanks Vlad. I'll be sure to remember that," Danny grumbled.

"But, I think that opinion just changed. You've grown a lot stronger since you were taken from Amity Park. I don't think I can consider you a mere hindrance anymore. I need to consider you an actual threat," Vlad admitted before taking back as much weight as he could, starting to regain control of his body again. Danny blinked at the corridor ahead, stunned by the veiled compliment Vlad just gave him. With a determined frown, Danny gave a curt nod to himself before ploughing ahead.

While the halfas struggled through the complex, Robin led his group down a corridor having reclaimed their weaponry and technology. Breaking out of the cages had been easy, especially with the hidden lock pick Robin had stashed away in his shoe. The Guys in White hadn't been too thorough with their search. Then Miss Martian had used her mental powers to knock out the guards and the others collected their weapons. They were currently following Robin as he followed his planned route through the complex using the map on his gauntlet. Robin smirked to himself as they reached the garage. There were so many ways out of the building through the garage that they could easily escape this way. They slipped into the darkened, cold room and crouched down behind a white van.

Robin then used his gauntlet to hack into the surveillance cameras. Outside, he saw that Zatanna had conjured illusions to distract the patrolling guards while Superboy, Aqualad and Kid Flash stealthily knocked the guards out and hid their unconscious bodies. He then flicked through the numerous cameras looking for the halfas. He frowned when he spotted them struggling down a corridor deep in the complex, Vlad leaning on Danny.

"_Danny, do you want us to go back for you? We're on standby beside our exit_," Robin offered.

"_We're fine_," Danny answered.

"_Dude, I'm watching you on the cameras. You're not exactly stealthy and you're nowhere near an exit. You're not fine_," Robin retorted. Robin saw Danny hesitate and frown to himself on his gauntlet before sighing.

"_Direct me then, but don't come back_," Danny decided. Robin rolled his eyes but obediently pulled up his map and located Danny and Vlad on it. He scanned the map for a moment before charting out a route that would bring them through a fire exit in the lower levels. The only problem was it included a trip through weapons testing. Although it was before dawn, far too early for the testing area to be active.

"_Alright. Keep going forward and your fourth left, take it_," Robin instructed.

Outside, things were going well. A little too well for Aqualad's liking. Young Justice had faced the Guys in White twice in the past. The organisation knew how the team operated. So, why were there so few guards? It's possible that they didn't station as many guards to protect their employees when Danny infiltrated, as they wanted him to. But surely they'd have brought more in after they caught him. Something wasn't right. And the Atlantian knew it. He was tempted to ask Robin to look into it, but he didn't want to alarm Danny. The halfa was alright for the moment, despite having been recaptured by the Guys in White, but if Aqualad alerted him to the fact that their success so far might have been a ruse, it could freak the halfa out. And no one wanted a freaked out Danny. So for now, Aqualad kept quiet and continued to sneak up on unsuspecting guards and knock them out.

Kid Flash ran, using his super speed to remain unseen, over to Aqualad.

"Hey… Am I the only one wondering where all the guards are?" Kid Flash asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Aqualad turned to the speedster and sighed.

"I was hoping that I was the only one worrying over that," Aqualad admitted.

"Oh good. I thought I was being paranoid. Should we warn the others?" Kid Flash replied. Aqualad frowned.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea. I know that Danny has gotten a lot better recently. But I'm worried that he's only coping so well because we're doing so well. I don't want him to freak out, fretting over the possibility that there are more guards somewhere," Aqualad confessed. Kid Flash bit his lip thoughtfully before sighing.

"Personally, I'd warn him. He might be worrying already but thinks he's being paranoid. Or he might be fine until he walks into a trap, where he could freak out. It's better that we voice our concerns," Kid Flash decided with a slight nod. Aqualad pursed his lips before nodding in agreement, seeing Kid Flash's point.

"_Robin. How many personnel are there in the building right now_?" Aqualad inquired.

"_Hold on…. One thousand and forty seven, including the janitor. Why_?" Robin answered.

"_Because both Wally and I are concerned that we're being lulled into a false sense of security. There's only about fifty guards out here, most of which are currently unconscious_," Aqualad explained.

"_How many guards are there meant to be here today_?" Danny asked with concern. Both Kid Flash and Aqualad cringed, both having dreaded Danny's reaction.

"_Um… four hundred_," Robin confessed.

"_Fifty outside. Ten guarding us. And those five guards we knocked out on the way here. That's only sixty five_," Artemis added up.

"_I've knocked out three_," Danny interjected.

"_That's still only sixty eight guards. Where's the rest_," Rocket pointed out.

"_Let me search using the cameras_," Robin offered.

"_Are you alright Danny_?" Aqualad ventured with concern.

"_A little concerned over so many missing guards. But doing okay_," Danny retorted calmly.

"_If you're not alright. It's okay_," Kid Flash pressed.

"_I'm fine guys. I'm not that fragile victim anymore_," Danny assured.

"_Danny! Stop following those directions I gave you_!" Robin shouted a few minutes later.

"_Sorry Rob. Too late_," Danny muttered. Aqualad and Kid Flash turned to each other with wide fearful eyes.

**Oh dear… what has Robin accidentally lead Danny into?**

**Will Danny continue to keep his cool?**

**Will Vlad be able to help Danny? Or willing?**

**Until the next chapter.**


	134. Chapter 134

Danny gulped nervously as he saw the number of Guys in White agents standing in the room, all holding big guns Danny was too familiar with. The same guns the organisation used to catch him the previous summer. The guns that with one shot caused his powers to go haywire. Vlad had finally managed to start walking by himself but he was still a little stiff from the gas' effects.

"_Danny!? Are you okay_?" Robin exclaimed.

"_I found those guards_," Danny retorted.

"Surrender! Now!" a Guys in White agent ordered, stepping out of the hordes of armed guards. Danny took a deep breath.

"I might never be the same but I'll become stronger," Danny whispered to himself, recalling something Black Canary once told him. Danny took another deep breath before boldly stepping forward and glaring at the agent.

"No. I know what you lot are capable of now. Maybe it's time you learnt what I'm capable of," Danny decided. As Danny widened his stance and filled his lungs, Vlad realised what the younger halfa was planning and covered his ears.

"Stand down! Or we'll fire!" the agent warned, but it was obvious that he was getting nervous. Danny paused long enough to give the agent a mischievous smirk before he let his breath out in a scream. His ghostly wail had rings of destructive green energy but also rings of blue ice energy that covered the room and the agents in a thin film of ice. After almost a minute of screaming, Danny stopped and stood tall, winded but ready for a fight. Danny strode forwards before he grabbed the agent who ordered for his surrender by his suit lapels off the floor.

"I'm done running from you. This time it's your turn. Surrender or I'll show you what a halfa can truly do," Danny growled, his neon green eyes burning dangerously.

"Daniel?" Vlad called, disconcerted by the tone Danny was using.

"Not now!" Danny snapped, not even looking away from the frightened man in his grasp. The agent shakily started nodding.

"I-I s-s-surrender," the agent stammered. Danny gave the man a curt nod before looking up and scanning the destroyed room around him, taking in the injured, unconscious or terrified men staring at him.

"What about you?" Danny prompted, glaring at every man capable of sitting or standing up. Most of the defeated agents began nodding rapidly, agreeing to surrender.

However one agent staggered to his feet, clutching his still intact gun and charged at Danny. Danny dropped the shaking agent in his hands and lifted one hand at the charging agent.

"Daniel! Don't!" Vlad shouted, alarmed. Danny ignored the older halfa and formed a ghost shield around the charging Guys in White agent, which the man smashed head first into. Danny stood firm, maintaining the shield easily, despite the agent, his nose now flowing with blood, hammering on the ghostly construct furiously. Danny walked evenly towards the shield, stopping inches from it.

"Now you're at my mercy. Just like I was before. Trapped, powerless with no one to save you. What would you do in my position?" Danny pointed out conversationally, but the slight bite in his tone betrayed his façade of calm. The agent inside the ghost shield sneered at the halfa, aiming his gun at the ghost energy. Danny scowled.

"That's right. Torture me. Experiment on me. Make me wish I were dead," Danny mock-recalled angrily. Suddenly the shield began to shrink, alarming the man inside as well as everyone else watching. Agents started to call out for Danny to stop. Vlad was transfixed in horror. But just as the agent became cramped inside the ghost shield, it stopped shrinking.

"That's where I'm different from you. That's where revenge and justice differ," Danny announced before he let the shield dissipate. Before the previously trapped agent could gather his bearings, Danny grabbed the man in an arm-lock, easily reaching a pressure point in the agent's neck causing the man to fall unconscious.

Danny lowered the agent to the floor before standing tall and glaring at the agents watching him in both fear and confusion.

"That's where you were wrong. Ghosts are not creatures filled with malice and hate. They are no different from humans, from you. Stop seeing the ghosts, and see them for what they truly are. Sentient beings capable of feeling love, pain and kindness as well as hate, anger and misery. You have dedicated your lives to destroy beings that are only different from humans because they have powers and maybe look a little different. Inside, we're the same," Danny added with a reprimanding frown. Danny glanced over his shoulder at Vlad.

"We're just a little misunderstood or have made some bad choices in the past," Danny remarked, softening his gaze before lowering his eyes to his hands.

"But, just because I'm a sucker for second chances doesn't mean I'm stupid," Danny concluded before he sent out a tendril of ghost energy to snake through the air towards the nearest huddle of frightened agents. Before the guards could gather themselves enough to run away, Danny sent out more ghost energy tendrils that snaked through the air to press the pressure point in their necks to incapacitate them.

"_That was… That was awesome Danny_," Robin breathed over the mind link once all the agents were unconscious. Danny nodded tiredly before he swayed dangerously. Vlad snapped out of his awestruck trance and rushed forwards just in time to catch Danny and prevent him falling to the ground.

"Are you alright little badger?" Vlad whispered. Danny nodded weakly.

"Just… exhausted. I've never done anything like that before with my telekinesis. I… can hardly keep my eyes open," Danny mumbled sleepily.

"Stay awake Daniel. We're not safe yet," Vlad gasped.

"I'm trying… cheesehead. But… it's not… easy," Danny muttered. Vlad scowled with determination as he pulled Danny's arm around his shoulders and took Danny's weight. Slowly, Vlad stumbled across the room, holding up Danny, where he found a fire exit door.

"Kid Flash is coming," Danny slurred. Vlad blinked and turned to Danny.

"What?" Vlad asked as he led Danny out into the early morning air.

"I'm here! I'm here," Kid Flash exclaimed as he came to a screeching stop in front of Vlad and Danny. Kid Flash frowned at the younger halfa who was struggling to stay on his feet while fighting to remain conscious.

"I assume you're one of Daniel's little sidekick friends," Vlad sneered in distaste, deciding that the speedster couldn't be much help.

"Play nice… Plasmius," Danny whispered sleepily. Vlad spared Danny a glance before sighing with a roll of his eyes.

"Where is your vehicle?" Vlad inquired civilly. Kid Flash frowned in confusion.

"Vehicle?" the speedster repeated.

"Yes. Your vehicle. You clearly can't fly and you wouldn't risk tiring yourself by running all the way here. Therefore you would require some form of transport to travel here. Stop asking stupid questions and point me in the correct direction," Vlad retorted.

"Plasmius," Danny growled tiredly in warning. Vlad huffed in annoyance as he readjusted his grip on the younger halfa who was slipping lower and lower. Kid Flash glanced between the halfas uncertainly before gesturing for the older halfa to follow him.

Vlad readjusted Danny again before following the speedster around the building cautiously. As they walked, Vlad watched Danny while Kid Flash kept watch for stray Guys in White or dangers to the halfas. Without warning, Superboy emerged from the underbrush, startling Vlad who aimed a pinkish/red ghost ray at the clone. Superboy scowled in annoyance while Danny weakly tried to push Vlad's hand down.

"He's… a friend," Danny mumbled. Vlad glanced at the younger halfa before dissipating his ghost ray and lowering his hand.

"Is Danny alright?" Superboy asked, aiming the question to Kid Flash.

"He's just tired. He used his telekinesis and exhausted himself," Vlad answered tersely. Superboy frowned at the older halfa.

"Why should we trust you? You've tried to kill Danny before," Superboy pointed out. Vlad shrugged.

"When it comes to Daniel, enemies and allies aren't easy labels to put on people," Vlad remarked. Superboy glanced at Danny before dipping his head and trudged towards the Bioship.

"Robin and the others are rendezvousing with us at the Bioship," Superboy called over his shoulder for Vlad's benefit.

**Whew! Danny didn't turn to the dark side and both halfas are out of the building.**

**But what will happen next? Let me know what you think.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	135. Chapter 135

The journey back to the cave was uncomfortable. The team wanted to blindfold Vlad in an attempt to protect their secret hideout but they also knew it was pointless since the halfa had visited Danny in the past. Danny fell asleep once Vlad gently settled the teen in a seat on the alien vessel. But finally they reached the cave's hanger and were soon stepping off the Bioship, leaving Danny to rest in peace for now on board. Kaldur and Robin shared an uneasy glance as they tried to figure out how to handle Vlad. Neither protégé knew what Vlad was capable of nor did they know how to speak to the halfa without endangering people or secrets. However before the teens could come up with a course of action, Batman and Black Canary arrived, both wearing stern scowls.

"Who decided on this unsanctioned mission!?" Batman yelled. The team glanced between themselves. Black Canary scanned the teens, lingering a moment on Vlad, before softening her fury into concern.

"Where's Danny?" she asked, her hard tone hiding her worry.

"He's fine. Just tired. He's asleep on the Bioship," Artemis interjected with a weak smile.

"Why is he tired?" Black Canary pushed suspiciously.

"He used his telekinesis. I'm sure you're aware how that particular power exhausts him," Vlad answered, with a bored tone. Batman's scowl intensified while Black Canary gave the older halfa a slight nod.

Vlad scanned the room with faint interest before walking away from the group of young heroes.

"Well, Daniel is safe now and I really should be getting back home. I do have very important things to be doing," Vlad decided with a half-hearted wave behind him to the group of heroes.

"I don't think so Masters. I've put up a shield and locked the cave down. I want a chat before you leave," Batman interjected. Vlad faltered a moment before spinning around on his heel and glaring dangerously at Batman.

"Before you go accusing Danny, I figured it out by myself," Batman added.

"How?" Vlad spat.

"Looked into past sightings of Plasmius and then when I had my suspicions, cross-referenced those sightings with your whereabouts. Also that old college newspaper from Wisconsin University. An article about a disfigured young man running away from the science building in the same edition as an article about Wisconsin's chess team's captain being forced to drop out of college due to being admitted into hospital with dire health concerns," Batman confessed with a shrug. Vlad's glare softened as he shook his head.

"I knew that article would come back to haunt me," Vlad hissed to himself.

"Don't be too upset. I am considered the greatest detective," Batman assured off-handedly.

Vlad huffed with annoyance before strolling closer to the dark knight.

"What do you want to speak about?" Vlad asked.

"Conditions for our silence. You are not an ally to the Justice League or Young Justice. As such I must consider you a threat. I don't keep people's secrets when they could be threats to us or the world. You are a known enemy to one of Young Justice's members, Danny Phantom," Batman pointed out. Vlad glanced at the Bioship where Danny was still on board, resting.

"What are your conditions then?" Vlad prompted suspiciously.

"I want you to arm us. The Justice League and Young Justice," Batman answered. Vlad sniggered.

"I think you have me confused for Daniel's parents. I am not an inventor," Vlad reminded the caped crusader.

"True. Maddie and Jack were the true visionaries in your college research group. You were talented but not a genius," Batman conceded causing Vlad to frown in distaste.

"But once I knew who your human half was, I made sure to look into Masters. And while your three main companies deal in cheese, computer software and transportation, there _is _a research and development department in DALV. A secret department developing anti-ghost weaponry for sale on the consumer's market. Of course you can't be seen having high-tech weaponry mere months after ghost attacks become a problem of the town you're mayor for. You have to wait until enough time has passed to avoid suspicion," Batman revealed with a slight smirk. Vlad sniffed in distaste.

"Why should I arm you and these children with expensive weapons that would endanger me and Daniel? Where's the advantage for me?" Vlad countered.

"Beta testers. If the weapons work, then you'll be able to endorse your products in the future. If the weapons fail, you can toss the product in the trash and let us take the heat for failing to protect people from ghosts," Batman answered with a slight nod. Vlad considered the deal before nodding.

"I see. I accept," Vlad decided. Batman smiled and held out a hand to the oldest halfa. Vlad rolled his red eyes before shaking Batman's hand.

"However, I think you should wait for Danny before you leave. I'm sure he'll want a word," Batman concluded. Vlad scowled.

"Daniel knows where to find me," Vlad protested.

"True, but you are the reason we're all in trouble, including Danny," Robin interjected with a smirk at his mentor, being the only one to see Batman's agreeing nod and proud eyes. Vlad huffed.

"Very well," Vlad relented haughtily.

"This way then Plasmius," Black Canary prompted, waving her hand towards the door, ready to lead the halfa to a pre-organised interrogation room Batman had prepared in secret after Danny joined the team. Vlad scowled at the woman but complied. Once Black Canary and Vlad were out of the room and hopefully earshot, Batman turned to the team, his stern scowl returned.

"You didn't answer my question. Who sanctioned this mission?" Batman pressed. Robin hesitantly raised a hand.

"All of us, kinda," Robin mumbled, not wanting Danny to get in trouble by himself. Batman frowned and shook his head.

"I taught you to lie better than that Robin," Batman scolded. Robin ducked his head submissively, lowering his hand.

"With all due respect, we are a team of heroes. If we see something of importance, we're going to act without consent, especially if there isn't time to get said consent," Kaldur ventured daringly. Batman turned his attention to the Atlantian. The dark knight shook his head.

"This wasn't an urgent matter though was it?" Batman pointed out.

"It was if the Guys in White questioned Vlad the same way they questioned me. Vlad knows where this place is. He could have compromised my and Dani's location, not to mention this secret base for Young Justice," Danny's voice called as the halfa strolled across the hanger from the Bioship in his human form, still wearing his disguise. Batman turned his frown on to Danny who stared back with determination.

"You sanctioned this mission then," Batman commented. Danny nodded, holding up a hand when the rest of the team started to protest.

"I did. Tuck saw a news story on Vlad and alerted me. I already had him on alert since Conner spotted a news story covering a strange sighting of a being, Vlad in his ghost form. I told my friends in Amity Park to run interference from there, while I gathered a team of volunteers to rescue Vlad, forbidding Gar and Dani first. I led the mission. Me and Vlad got recaptured, as well as half of the team, before we all escaped and I exhausted myself. Punish me if you want but I don't regret doing what I did," Danny explained, keeping his gaze firmly on Batman, undeterred by the dark knight's scowl. For a moment, the two heroes stared at each other, not willing to back down, the team watching on with concern, before Batman's stern scowl morphed into a smirk. He clapped a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Good job. How would you like to be co-deputy leader with Robin? You can definitely lead a team," Batman offered. Danny's determined frown faltered in surprise.

"Wha? You're not gonna yell at me? Punish me? Ground me or take away some of my privileges?" Danny pointed out in shock. Batman chuckled.

"There's no point grounding you since you don't really go anywhere, this is technically your home for now. And you did a good job rescuing Vlad, assessing dangers and even selecting your team. I don't think you're experienced enough to lead the team by yourself, besides Kaldur's leader, elected by the team. But you have certainly come a long way from the boy I saw in the medical facility," Batman remarked, a proud smile making its way to his lips.

Danny smiled before biting his lip and rubbing the back of his neck. Batman raised an eyebrow under his cowl.

"Is something wrong?" the caped crusader prompted.

"Not exactly. I'm never gonna be able to go home until the Guys in White leave me alone, which they won't. You reminded me of that day. You asked if I was prepared to risk my secret to get justice," Danny recalled. Batman blinked in surprise before nodding.

"I did. You turned me down," Batman confirmed.

"Can I change my mind now?" Danny ventured.

"Of course. I said that it was up to you," Batman agreed, pleased that Danny had finally relented to allow him to get the teen some justice. Danny smiled, but he was clearly still worried.

"Is it possible to mess with the Guys in White's records so that my identity is hidden? I don't want this to all happen again and endanger my family," Danny inquired hopefully. Batman frowned. In order to get the organisation shut down as quickly as possible, they had to tell the people high up in the government the full truth. That the Guys in White experimented on a human child. The organisation was meant to experiment on ghosts. So, , they had to reveal Danny's secret in order to get him justice. But… maybe they didn't have to reveal his full secret.

"We would have to reveal your halfa status… but it shouldn't be too hard to hide your human identity. The Guys in White have done half the job already. Robin, think you could alter a computer virus to track down any mention of Danny's human identity, or images of his human form?" Batman inquired, he knew he could do it himself but he wanted to give his protégé the chance first. Robin grinned deviously.

"Piece of cake," Robin confirmed confidently.

"Good. Get to work on that now. We'll infect their servers and collect the remaining data in a couple of days in a Justice League led raid. Then me and you, Danny, will go to the government and reveal our evidence," Batman decided. Danny nodded with a smile, glad to have protected his secret partially if not entirely.

With that issue resolved, Danny glanced around the hanger before rolling his eyes.

"Plasmius gone home already?" Danny asked, not expecting an answer.

"Nope. Bats has him here still. Get this! Bats knows Vlad's human identity!" Wally corrected. Danny blinked in shock before turning to Batman.

"How?" Danny exclaimed.

"Danny, I'm not called the greatest detective for no reason you know," Batman retorted.

"How are you keeping him here?" Danny pressed, still bewildered by the revelation.

"Adapted ghost shield I gained from your parents. Remotely controlled by my utility belt," Batman answered. Danny blinked in surprise for a couple of seconds before letting out a bark of laughter.

"Finally! He finally got taste of what he's been doing to me for years!" Danny chuckled. Batman smirked while the others started laughing, encouraged by Danny's infectious glee.

"I thought you might like to speak with Masters before he left," Batman commented once Danny had calmed down again. Danny turned to Batman before nodding.

"Definitely. I need to explain that my problems are mine to handle," Danny agreed. Batman gave the halfa a curt nod and gestured for Danny to follow him. Danny hesitated a moment before turning back the team.

"Go on. It's fine," Zatanna encouraged with a smile. Danny smiled back.

"Would you mind giving Dani a head's up that Vlad's in the cave?" Danny requested. A number of the team nodded in response before Danny rushed to catch up with Batman.

A few minutes later, Batman paused beside a door to one of the disused interrogation rooms.

"Do you want me or Black Canary with you or do you want to speak with Masters alone?" Batman asked.

"Alone. I can handle him, don't worry. Besides this might take a while," Danny decided with a shrug. Batman nodded and opened the door, letting Danny walk inside first. Black Canary turned to the newcomers from her position in the corner, leaning against the wall, keeping watch on the oldest halfa.

"We'll have someone outside, just in case," Batman informed the halfas as he gestured for Black Canary to follow him out of the room. Danny waited for them to leave before turning to Vlad, propping his hands on his hips.

"How does it feel being Batman's prisoner?" Danny teased with a mischievous smirk. Vlad sneered in response, causing Danny's smirk to grow as he dropped into a seat opposite the older halfa.

"What do you want? I need to get back home now," Vlad growled.

"Aw, and I thought you had finally stopped being a cheesehead and were being nice," Danny mocked with a pout. Vlad's sneer deepened into a glower.

"Alright, no need to be moody V-man. I'll get to the point. Stay out of my business," Danny told the older halfa with a scowl. Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you mean little badger," Vlad retorted.

"You got caught because you weren't careful enough while looking into the Light. I told you to stay out of it," Danny reminded the man, half-rising out of his seat in anger. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Again with the over-the-top teenaged dramatics," Vlad drawled.

"This isn't me being dramatic Vlad. You have no right to look into the Light, because first it has nothing to do with you and second I told you I could handle them," Danny growled.

"Clearly you couldn't though Daniel. You told me that they drove you insane! I know you. Better than most. You are stubborn. You're strong. If they could break you so completely-" Vlad began.

"It doesn't concern you!" Danny shouted furiously, standing up fully.

"You aren't my dad. As much as you wish you were, you're not. I don't _want_ you involved. They broke me because they were trying to recruit me Vlad. They're dangerous enough without giving them halfa weapons," Danny snarled.

"I was trying to get rid of them for you!" Vlad pointed out, also standing up.

"I didn't ask you to. I don't want you fighting my fights!" Danny shot back.

"I know, you little rat. But I was trying to help you because you had suffered through enough! I should have helped you before!" Vlad snapped.

"Yeah. You should have," Danny agreed spitefully. Vlad gritted his teeth and raised his hand, sparking with his ghost energy.

"I apologised for that," Vlad reminded the younger halfa.

"Did you really though?" Danny challenged. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry then. Daniel, I don't beg for forgiveness from anyone, least of all from you," Vlad drawled as he sat back down.

Danny scowled at the older man.

"Vlad, one word from me, Batman won't let you go," Danny bluffed. Vlad snorted.

"Your threats don't frighten me little badger," Vlad retorted.

"Look, Vlad… you said you used to consider me a hindrance. But now you consider me a real threat. Out of respect for what I did for you, can't you just do what I'm asking," Danny implored, quickly giving up on the tough guy act, knowing that Vlad had seen straight through it. Vlad pursed his lips in thought.

"What are you asking from me then?" Vlad prompted.

"Leave the Light to me and Batman. Stop trying to avenge me or whatever. I'm not a weakling you need to protect. I can stand by myself and I can fight my own battles without you. If I don't ask for help, or if I ask you to stay out of it, don't get involved," Danny explained, staring firmly into Vlad's red eyes. Vlad raised an eyebrow before dipping his head.

"Very well, but in return, I want to be kept informed. If there's a threat to my town, I am mayor Daniel, or a threat to people of interest to us both, tell me," Vlad requested. Danny sighed before nodding in agreement. Vlad held out a hand and Danny rolled his eyes before taking it, shaking on the deal.

**It seems like the halfas have a new truce, or at least an agreement.**

**And gasp! Danny is finally letting Batman shut down the Guys in White!**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	136. Chapter 136

Danny nervously tapped his fingers on the manila folder while they waited. Batman was stoic and unmoving beside him. Batman had led a raid with other members of the Justice League on one of the larger Guys in White bases the night before and had sent via e-mail, a request to meet with the President of the United States. Danny had hoped for Batman to sneak in and talk to the President in secret but the dark knight had decided the more up front they were, the better. Secret service men were dotted throughout the building, watching the strange duo behind sunglasses while voices spoke to them through ear pieces. Their stares reminded the halfa of Guys in White agents, the only difference between the government agents being their uniform. Where Guys in White agents wore white, the secret service wore black. They were standing in a small room nearby to the oval office, waiting for the President to meet with them.

The door opened and the President filed inside alongside a group of guards.

"Batman, I don't have a lot of time. What did you want to tell me that you had to bring in person?" the President asked in a business tone.

"Mr President, this matter is sensitive in nature. Would it be possible to have some more privacy?" Batman requested. The President frowned before waving vaguely towards the door and the secret service men filed outside the room. Batman nodded in gratitude.

"Mr President, I'd like you to meet Danny Phantom, a promising young hero from Amity Park," Batman began.

"I have heard of the town. A lot of freaky problems that fall under the Guys in White's jurisdiction," the President remarked, nodding uncertainly towards Danny in greeting.

"Yes, that's what we wanted to speak to you about. Danny here, like many heroes, has a secret identity," Batman resumed.

"I thought he was a ghost," the President interrupted with a confused frown.

"His hero persona is. Danny is something called a halfa. He is half ghost. Half human. Danny the file," Batman continued. Danny edged forwards and handed the file to the man. The President frowned as he took the file and opened it. Batman and Danny remained silent while the President scanned through the recovered files.

"Where did you get these files?" the President inquired, his eyes wide with horror and disgust.

"One of the larger Guys in White complexes. Danny was taken from his home last summer. Once the Guys in White learned of what he was, they experimented on him, excessively and knowingly. Mr President, they experimented on a human child, which is against our laws," Batman answered.

"How did you learn of all this? And if all this happened so long ago, why are you coming to me now?" the President pressed.

"We received an anomalous tip about what happened. We rescued Danny seven weeks after his abduction. There was a long recovery process Mr President and it wasn't until recently that Danny was ready to pursue this," Batman admitted.

"How do I know this is the truth? This could be a ploy from ghosts to get this organisation shut down, because I assume that's what you want to happen," the President challenged, glancing at Danny. Batman nudged Danny and the halfa knew he had to reveal his secret to this powerful stranger. The President's eyes widened in amazement as a white light grew around Danny's waist, split and passed over the ghostly teenager's body, changing it to human.

"As you can see, this is the truth. And you're right, we want you to shut down the Guys in White. We have redacted Danny's human name from those files but everything else is untouched. Your government organisation experimented on a human child with powers. It is no different to if they had experimented on the Flash or Black Canary," Batman added, snapping the gobsmacked man out of his awestruck trance.

"If I shut down the organisation, thousands of Americans will lose their jobs. The country will have no defence against ghosts which is becoming a bigger issue," the President pointed out.

"Mr President, I'd hope that a number of those men and women lose more than a job. They did illegal experimentation, against Danny's will, on a human child. Read that file. What they did to him is nothing short of despicable. And that's putting it lightly. We're not asking for compensation. All we ask is that you protect Danny. In return for your protection, Danny will gladly return home and resume protecting the town from ghostly threats. Danny is also working closely to the Justice League now, together we can take over dealing with the ghost issue," Batman countered, anger leaking into his tone. He knew that the president wouldn't want to make it public what happened, which in order to shut down the organisation he would have to do. The President frowned as he turned his attention briefly to the file in his hands.

The President turned to the now human Danny and waved the file.

"What do you have to say about this?" the man inquired. Danny shook his head.

"Words can't describe what that file will tell you. I survived through seven weeks drugged, experimented on and tortured. I was terrified the whole time. I wished to be dead, properly. I thought I'd die there and every day hope of rescue got smaller and smaller. It's taken a lot of support and a lot of work for me to get back to this. When I first got out of there, I couldn't walk, I was so weak. I couldn't use my powers without terrifying flashbacks. I couldn't even turn into my ghost half for a long time. That file only tells half the story. It tells you how they hurt me, but it can never explain for you just how much they destroyed me," Danny muttered. The President nodded thoughtfully before turning to the file again.

"I will consider your request. But you must understand that this will take time. An inquiry will take place. Arrests, trials and investigations will need to be organised. This is a massive decision. I understand that you were hurt. But if we had to shut down every company or organisation that caused someone to get hurt, our country would crumble. Would you be prepared to show more people your human er self?" the President asked. Danny chewed his lip before sighing.

"Only if they promise not to tell anyone who I am, or what I look like. I have a family sir and I don't want them to get hurt any more than they have already been because of all this," Danny agreed. The President hummed in understanding.

"How will I contact you?" the leader inquired. Batman handed the man a device from his utility belt.

"You can use that to contact me, and I'll contact Danny," Batman replied. The President took the device with a nod.

"I would appreciate that you not inform too many people that you have a direct line to me. It could attract trouble," Batman added.

With their meeting finished, the President left and moments later Danny Phantom and Batman were escorted out of the White House to the Batmobile.

"You did good back there," Batman remarked as he turned on the car. Danny nodded.

"Thanks. I just told him the truth though," Danny muttered.

"True, but it was what you said, how you said it, that convinced him to take us seriously," Batman pointed out. Danny shrugged.

"How long do you think it'll take for him to do all that he said he had to do?" Danny wondered after a few moments of silence.

"I think it'll happen faster than he said. He hasn't read that file yet but when he does, he'll agree with us that the Guys in White stepped over a line that should never have been crossed," Batman commented. Danny nodded as he turned his troubled gaze to the scenery speeding past them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Batman asked once the silence stretched for a little too long. While the dark knight was used to staying silent for long periods, his record was three days during a pressing case, he knew Danny wasn't a quiet person unless he was thinking.

"If the President does start shutting everything down, I can go home. I was thinking about Dani to be honest. I'm really her only family," Danny confessed. Batman glanced at the teen before nodding.

"She's always welcome to stay at the cave and resume her schooling with Garfield and Red Tornado," Batman pointed out.

"I know Dani and if I'm not there she's not gonna stick around for long. Especially for school," Danny remarked. Batman frowned.

"What do you suggest then?" Batman wondered.

"Dani isn't gonna stick around for charity. She's only still around because she wants to be with me. I know that. But if I go home, she doesn't need to stay. But… if we give her a reason to stay, she might," Danny explained.

"Go on," Batman pressed as Danny fell quiet again.

"She might stay around for Gar or maybe the team," Danny concluded.

"You want me to put her on the team?" Batman inquired.

"Not yet. But… put her as a trainer for fighting ghosts. She could really help the team that way and she won't see it as charity," Danny corrected. Batman hummed thoughtfully.

"I'll consider that idea," Batman assured as they fell into comfortable silence again.

While Danny was worried about Danielle and what he may have to do to finally get his justice and shut down the Guys in White, he was excited about the possibility to going back home. He was excited to go back to a regular school, especially since he had been able to catch up with his schooling thanks to Red Tornado. He missed hanging out with Tucker and Sam. Visiting Amity Park and spending a couple of hours together just wasn't the same. Danny knew that his friends were worried about talking about certain topics. Sam still had trouble sleeping, frequently calling Danny in the middle of the night sounding panicky and frightened. He hated that his memories had caused his loved ones so much pain. He hadn't visited his home since the incident with Recurda but he knew that his mother would treat him differently now. She may have finally understood that he wasn't a child she needed to protect anymore, but that didn't erase the fact that she had seen some of his worst moments, the hardships he had to face as Danny Phantom. Tucker had changed towards him too. The techno geek would lapse into these silences mid-conversation before mentioning in a horrified voice how he just remembered something about what Danny had endured or done as Phantom and how he didn't know how his friend could handle it.

Danny knew things would never be the same as they had been before he was captured by the Guys in White, but he also knew that once he got home that his loved ones would see that he was alright. He wasn't putting a front on for them. And hopefully that reassurance for them would stop these bouts of weirdness that Danny didn't know how to handle. Part of him was dreading the time when he would leave the safe haven of the cave, but another part of him was itching to escape from Batman's protection to freely fly around his home, fighting ghosts threatening his town. He wanted to go back to what he had before everything, despite all the things that had changed. But for the first time in a long time, that thought of going home felt possible and real. It had always felt uncertain and an empty promise he couldn't be sure he would keep before now. But with this step to shut down the Guys in White, Danny had made that hope a possibility and that brought a smile to his lips as he gazed out the Batmobile's window.

**As you guys might have guessed, the ending is near. But will the President help our favourite halfa?**

**Will the Guys in White be shut down? How will it happen if it does?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	137. Chapter 137

"Guys! Come quick!" Zatanna shouted from the kitchen/living room. Danny lost his focus and Danielle's ghost ray, which she fired before the shout, hit him squarely in the chest. Danny grunted in pain as he was thrown backwards into the cave wall. Garfield winced in sympathy for the halfa while Danielle cringed and Black Canary ran over to Danny, checking if he was alright. Winded, Danny waved off Black Canary's hovering worried hands and stumbled to his feet.

"_Guys! Get in here!_" M'gann called telepathically.

"What is going on?" Danny muttered as he led the way towards the kitchen/living room. Danielle trotted after the older halfa.

"Danny, I'm so sorry about that blast," Danielle began.

"It's fine Dani. It wasn't your fault. I lost concentration and my shield slipped," Danny assured, although he kept a hand on his aching chest. Danielle nodded however her expression displayed her guilt. Garfield followed along behind the halfas with Black Canary.

"Danny, are you sure you don't need to see Red Tornado?" Black Canary interjected.

"Let's find out what's going on first. I'm sure I'm fine though," Danny replied with a shrug, glancing over his shoulder at the heroine. Black Canary gave him an agreeing nod as they reached the kitchen door.

Danny opened the door only to be grabbed by the wrist by Connor.

"Hurry up or you'll miss it," Conner reprimanded.

"What is going on?" Danny questioned as he allowed Conner to steer him over to the couch in front of the television showing a news story about a wildfire in America.

"You'll see," Zatanna retorted as everyone else filed into the room and found seats. Danny frowned at his teammate but decided against pushing the matter.

"Turn it up," Zatanna ordered M'gann who was closest to the remote. Danny's curious, confused frown deepened. M'gann complied just as the wildfire story ended.

"In Washington DC, the President has launched a massive investigation into the actions of his government. Timothy Scribe has more," the female newscaster announced before the screen changed to a scene of the White House and a mousy-looking man holding a microphone.

"Thank you Alissa. Earlier this morning, the President announced that an investigation would be held in the little known Guys in White department. The Guys in White deals with investigating ghost sightings and ghost attacks which, according to sources, have increased in recent years. The President wouldn't go into details on what happened but word has it that the Guys in White captured Danny Phantom, a ghost originating from Amity Park and widely considered a hero, last year. According to sources, the Guys in White experimented on the ghost hero, breaking numerous laws. There are rumours that the Guys in White may be shut down as a result of this investigation which would leave thousands of Americans out of work and our country without protection if these ghost attacks are rea-uh escalate. Back to the studio," the reporter informed the camera.

Danny was silent, staring at the screen blankly as the news moved onto a story about a celebrity scandal. Danielle blinked at the older halfa, also stunned, while the rest of the team shared confused glances, thinking this was good news but concerned by Danny's reaction. Suddenly the silence was broken by the ghostbuster's theme song. Danny blinked out of his trance and dug out his phone from his pocket. Black Canary had half a mind to mention that Danny's phone should have been on silent since they were in the middle of a training session before the news story interrupted them.

"Dude! We saw the news!" Tucker's voice exclaimed through the phone.

"Yeah. So did I," Danny muttered, still sounding a little stunned.

"What's wrong?" Tucker asked, his excitement being replaced with concern.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised. I only spoke to the President two days ago and he's already doing something," Danny answered with a shake of his head, recovering. Tucker laughed joyfully.

"Great isn't it!?" Tucker cheered. Danny smirked before nodding.

"Definitely. I just wasn't expecting to hear anything so soon," Danny agreed with a soft chuckle, reassuring the others with the halfa.

Suddenly Danny registered what Tucker said.

"Who's we?" Danny wondered.

"We're over at your house. We all saw it," Tucker revealed, a shrug obvious in his tone.

"Say hi for me," Danny replied with a smile.

"Sure thing dude. Keep us posted though," Tucker assured.

"Will do. I'll call you guys when I know anything," Danny retorted with a nod to himself before the friends exchanged farewells and hung up. Danny turned to the others watching him and shrugged.

"Guess you guys heard all that," he commented.

"I did," Conner admitted with a slight wince of apology. Danny smiled to the clone reassuringly.

"You really didn't know that this investigation had started?" Artemis asked incredulously. Danny shook his head.

"The President told me and Batman that he would consider it. But he warned it might take a while before he actually took action, if he ever did. Although Batman mentioned that the President might act faster than he said once he read the file," Danny admitted with a slight shrug.

"Well obviously Batman was right," Zatanna commented with a grin. Danny chuckled and nodded.

By the end of the week, the President had contacted Batman about the investigation, mentioning that the man was surprised how extensive the corruption had reached in the Guys in White. However the President also requested that the Justice League and Danny make a public statement in regards to the investigation and for Danny to testify in a court of sorts, as his human self. Batman agreed on Danny's behalf, knowing that the halfa would do so, as long as all present signed a confidentiality agreement. A few days later, a group of the more well-known heroes from the Justice League, including Batman, Black Canary, Superman and the Flash, gathered outside the Hall of Justice and made a public announcement mentioning their personal investigation into the Guys in White and Batman mentioned about the damage they inflicted on Danny Phantom. Danny also made a statement at the press conference stating that all he wanted was to not be hunted when he was trying to do was the right thing and protect people. However the halfa's statement was short, as Batman anticipated, reporters had done their homework and tried to interrogate the young hero on his apparent misdeeds in the past such as attacking the mayor of Amity Park.

Less than a month later, the President held a massive court case complete with an impartial judge and jury who were all required to sign a contract of secrecy that they would never discuss what they heard and saw in the court case to anyone without being guilty of treason. It touched Danny how seriously the President was taking his secret and made him quietly confident that the powerful man was on his side. It almost felt like this trial was just a formality because of every American's right to an impartial trial before punishment. However despite being as sure as he could be that the president was on his side and only wanted justice for the halfa, he was terrified of having to reveal his human side to a courtroom full of people, no full of strangers that could in the future become a threat to him. Fortunately Batman informed Danny that he had thought of that and had told the judge and jury that the halfa's identity would not be revealed in the course of the investigation and the dark knight even gave Danny a mask that covered the top half of his face, like the Batman's cowl, to wear during the trial.

Danny appeared in court, wearing his mask on his human half while in his ghost form, a week into the trial. Every day, the court convened and detectives and secret service men gave evidence on their investigation into the Guys in White and their numerous illegal activities, some were regarding illegal arrests, some were regarding endangering the public in their reckless pursuit of ghosts, namely Phantom, and some were reports on experiments held by the Guys in White labs on ghosts, including Phantom. It was safe to say that everyone present was shocked by the allegations being brought against the Guys in White, a government funded organisation. Danny had hoped that with all the evidence being presented and the judge and jury's reactions, he mightn't have to give his side of the story but the President insisted that Danny reveal his halfa status and tell the people present what the Guys in White did to him. Much to Danny's annoyance and disappointment, Batman agreed, deciding that they should opt for making the case as airtight as possible rather than doing as much as it seemed was necessary and then sitting back.

Danny nervously stood up from his seat in the courtroom beside Batman and Black Canary. There were other heroes present both to follow the court case and also to give evidence when necessary throughout the trial. The government's lawyer flashed the halfa a reassuring smile and waved encouragingly to a podium complete with microphone and seat. Danny edged into the box and perched on the seat. As he had already given evidence as his ghostly self in the court case already, he only needed to renew his oath to tell the truth.

"Phantom, there are those present here that don't believe your claim that the Guys in White experimented on a human child. They claim that they experimented on only ghosts. Do you have any proof of your claim?" the lawyer requested, waving towards the jury. The lawyer had been asked very early on to only refer to Danny as Phantom, Batman felt that by reinforcing the hero title rather than an actual name it would protect Danny's identity. Danny sucked in a breath and nodded to the lawyer. A band of bright light appeared around Danny's waist and split to reveal his human form that was dressed in a well-fitting suit and the mask Batman gave him.

"I'm wearing this mask to protect my human identity as I don't wish to endanger my family or myself," Danny explained without being asked, knowing that usually people didn't hide who they were in court.

The lawyer glanced at the jury and saw most of the people there were shocked but a couple were shaking their heads to themselves, clearly not believing their eyes and assuming it was a trick. The lawyer turned to the judge.

"If you'd permit, we can prove beyond doubt that Phantom's human side is human. Ghosts bleed green blood, ectoplasm. But Phantom's human side bleeds red blood, human blood," the lawyer explained, producing a small knife. The judge frowned before turning to Danny.

"Do you agree to this?" the judge asked with concern.

"I do. Due to my halfa status, I have accelerated healing. If getting a cut will ensure the jury believe me, I'll do it," Danny confirmed. The judge gave a curt nod with a frown. The lawyer stepped forward and handed the knife to Danny. Danny sucked in a quick breath before running the blade across the palm of his hand. He then handed the blade back to the lawyer who with a slight grimace took out a handkerchief and wiped the knife clean before returning it to his desk and grabbing a clean bandage. Danny held up his bleeding hand to the jury before slowly turning it to show everyone in the courtroom and finally showing it to the judge. By the time the lawyer had returned everyone had seen Danny's hand bleeding red blood. Danny took the bandage with a quick grateful smile and expertly wrapped it around his hand, using his teeth to tie the ends together.

Once he had finished he turned back to the lawyer, ready for the man to continue the case.

"In your own words, why do you want the Guys in White to be shut down?" the lawyer requested. Danny gave the man a quick nod before considering the best way to phrase his answer. He turned to the jury once he was sure.

"Do you know what it's like to choke on your own blood? Do you know what it's like to feel your flesh burning? Do you know what it's like to get something injected into you and hope that it will kill you?" Danny began, keeping his voice steady and factual despite how disturbed the jury's expressions were.

"That's how I felt. That's what I experienced. That's what the Guys in White did to me. I think it's obvious why I want them shut down. They do that to every ghost they catch. They torture their victims until they can't stand it any longer and die. But before now, no one cared because it wasn't anything important. But ghosts are dead people. If you died tomorrow, you could become a ghost and no one would care if the Guys in White caught you. The only reason anyone cares now is because I have a human half. They only care because it's not one of them, it's one of you that got hurt. No one, human, halfa, or ghost deserves to know what it's like to feel the way I did. I'm not saying we should let the ghosts rampage through this world because it's wrong for the Guys in White to catch them. I'm saying we need to find a _better_ way of fighting ghosts coming here to hurt us," Danny resumed. Danny watched the jury as they glanced between each other with uneasy or determined expressions. He turned to the lawyer who gave him an approving smile, similar to the one Batman was giving him.

**Just a quick check in on how the trial is going.**

**Who do you think will win the trial?**

**What will happen afterwards?**

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	138. Chapter 138

"Guys! Get in here! It's starting!" Jazz yelled as the advertisements on the television came to a close. Sam and Tucker dashed out of the kitchen with their drinks and Maddie followed with a plate of sandwiches. Jack thundered down the stairs from going to the bathroom. They all jumped into their seats and waited for the programme to begin.

Since it had been announced publicly what happened to Danny Phantom, the people of Amity Park had rallied together to stand behind their hero. Previous fears that their hero had abandoned them banished by the horrifying truth that their hero had been taken from them. The recent increase in ghost attacks and the lack of people capable of fighting those ghosts back had caused many citizens of Amity Park to get injured or to lose their homes and precious belongings. Over the months, people had gradually turned from loving and missing their ghostly hero to feeling angry and blaming Danny Phantom for their terrible situations, never considering why the ghostly teen disappeared so suddenly. But now that the people of Amity Park knew the truth, things had changed. Banners and signs were plastered all over the town showing support for their hero. Casper High was filled so much by the teens' supportive banners and posters that no one could go anywhere in that school without seeing something about the halfa.

However finally after two months, the court case had come to a decision. While there were many people who had protested and demanded that the court case be televised, the only information coming from that room was the occasional comment from Justice League heroes. But today, was the exception. This was the last time the court would convene, and it was tell the nation the outcome. Everyone gathered in the Fenton home hoped it was to issue punishments according to Guys in White employee involvement in the corruption and misconduct. But a sliver of fear inside them worried that the court would side with the Guys in White, despite the insurmountable evidence displaying their crimes for everyone to see.

Tucker and Sam had tried to get Danny to tell them what he thought would happen in the court case but he tended to brush them off, complaining that he'd spent all day in that stuffy courtroom listening to all things Guys in White and he didn't want to talk about it. The friends feared that Danny was concerned about the outcome but they also hoped that he wanted to surprise them with a positive result. But due to Danny's tight lips, they were in as much suspense as the rest of the nation watching with fingers crossed and hearts in their mouths.

A quick montage of various courtroom scenes flashed on the screen with a male voiceover explaining what the court case was about before finishing, questioning what the outcome might be. The screen flicked to display a man with perfectly styled blonde hair, blinding false grin in a pristine suit standing at the back of the courtroom holding a microphone. Lance Thunder had somehow managed to get out of Amity Park reporting on ghosts and the weather to present the court case of Phantom against Guys in White for the nation. There were theories that the man had put his name into the ring as soon as the president announced that such a court case would happen.

"Good morning people of America, especially the folks back home in Amity Park. We've finally reached the end of this momentous court case. But who has won? Our beloved ghost hero, Danny Phantom, or the tyrannical government organisation the Guys in White? We'll be finding out very shortly. But let's take a moment to see who has turned up to see this court case's conclusion," Lance Thunder began, enjoying the suspense he had over his viewers.

A camera at the front of the courtroom scanned the seats, pausing on people of note. The President, surrounded by a gang of secret service men. A few well known politicians who had flip-flopped throughout the court case on who they supported, trying to come out on the side of the victors. A few Justice League members such as Superman, Martian Manhunter and Icon. Before finding Danny Phantom fidgeting with nervous energy beside Batman and Black Canary.

"There he is!" Jack exclaimed, sandwich crumbs flying from his mouth. No one berated the large man, grinning to themselves to see the halfa.

The television returned to Lance Thunder who still wore a broad, fake grin, displaying as many white teeth as possible.

"The judge and the jury are about to enter. Due to the nature of this court case, details of the case will not be disclosed to the general populace. I've been assured it is because most details would be greatly distressing. But while the court is in progress we will have to be very quiet," Lance warned before turning to the front as a bailiff called for everyone to stand. The TV showed a new image where the judge and the jury filed into the courtroom. The TV had blurred the faces of the jury and the judge and Lance's voice informed those watching that it was to protect them from later questioning or protesters who mightn't agree with the outcome. The judge sat down, soon followed by the rest present.

The judge waved to a lawyer to begin and a man in a smart suit stepped forward to address the room, facing mostly the jury and the cameras pointing at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We have sat in this room listening to the horrors the organisation, the Guys in White, have committed. Some to the public with their forceful, sometimes aggressive behaviour in their pursuit of ghosts. Some to our own government and president by keeping dangerous plans and operations secret, such as firing a missile into the Ghost Zone, a world parallel to our own which according to Phantom is the flip-side of our world. If they had succeeded, they would have not only destroyed the Ghost Zone, but our own as well. We have Phantom to thank that their plan failed. And we have also heard of the horrors they committed against Phantom, including experimentation, torture, both physical and mental, and others. In my opinion, Phantom is right. We need to shut down the Guys in White and find a better alternative to their methods to combat the ghosts threatening our way of life," the lawyer explained, nodding towards Danny when mentioned, the camera following the lawyer.

"Wow, this was a really thorough investigation," Sam muttered while the lawyer representing the Guys in White tried to dismiss the horrors the previous lawyer had mentioned.

"I'm glad. If they show that the Guys in White did other stuff than catching Danny and hurting him, then no one can excuse their behaviour," Jazz pointed out. They all nodded in agreement before returning their attention to the TV which was showing the judge making a statement.

"I have listened to both sides of this court case and while I have reached a decision, I must first hear the jury's verdict," the judge decided and turned to the group of blurred men and women. One of them handed a piece of paper to the bailiff and he handed it to the judge. The judge unfolded the paper and allowed himself a small smile no one could make out.

"The jury have ruled that the Guys in White are guilty, of all charges presented against them," the judge announced. Everyone in the Fenton household breathed a sigh of relief and they could sense the numerous cheers across Amity Park, the image was aided by Lance Thunder giving an overjoyed yell at the back of the courtroom, drawing some attention.

The judge didn't comment on the outburst and instead waved for the representative of the Guys in White to stand.

"What do you have to say in response to this verdict?" the judge prompted with a hard voice. The man scowled openly and turned to the jury.

"I would like to request that all the jury be checked for ghostly possession," the man growled. The judge sighed.

"Phantom?" the judge called, his tone told everyone that he believed this to be a waste of time. Danny stood up from his seat and walked to the front of the room, cameras following his every move. He stopped beside the jury and gestured to a man at the front.

"May I have the belt Batman gave you at the beginning of this court case?" he requested. The man frowned in confusion but obliged. Danny took the belt which Maddie and Jack instantly recognised as their very own invention, the Spectre Deflector. Danny walked to stand in front of the Guys in White representative who didn't bother to hide his hateful glare. Danny scowled back at the man before raising the belt into full view.

"This is an invention built by Fenton Works, owned by Madeline and Jack Fenton who are residents in Amity Park. It is called a Spectre Deflector. It is designed to prevent any ghost touching the wearer, and I can tell you from experience that it works, very well. The judge and jury and any witnesses who have given evidence have worn these belts throughout the court case. Did everyone in the jury do that?" Danny began and turned to the jury to get quick confirmations. The Guys in White representative narrowed his eyes at the halfa.

"How do I know that those belts weren't tampered with?" the man challenged. Danny rolled his eyes.

"They were inspected by Batman himself before he distributed them and I can show you here and now. Put it on," Danny retorted. Maddie and Jack scowled worriedly at the screen as they watched the Guys in White man put their invention on. Danny folded his arms while he waited.

"Now what ghost," the man spat. Danny narrowed his eyes at the man before glancing at the belt. Danny reached out a hand and touched the man with a single finger before involuntarily jumping back a step with a bark of pain. He shook his hand with a scowl before turning to the Guys in White man who was blinking in surprise.

"That belt prevents any ghost touching a wearer without getting electrocuted, which I don't need to tell you hurts ghosts," Danny added before walking to the jury.

"And before you claim that the jury aren't wearing them correctly. Pick one person here at random," Danny continued, knowing that the Guys in White representative would claim just that. The Guys in White man scanned the jury before pointing to a woman at the back. Danny rolled his eyes and drifted into the air to reach the woman.

"I have permission, yes?" Danny interjected before touching the woman. The woman nodded to the halfa and he turned to the Guys in White representative and touched a different finger to the woman's shoulder, jerking back in the air with another yelp. Danny then returned to his seat, his point made, sucking on his singed fingers.

The judge waited for Danny to sit down before turning to the Guys in White man.

"Anything you'd like to add?" the judge prompted. The Guys in White representative scanned the court room before huffing.

"You're falling for that ghost's act. That scum is plotting with all his kind to attack us. Get rid of us and you lose your last defence against those monsters," the man growled.

"I'll take your point on board," the judge muttered with no emotion. The judge then waved to the lawyer representing all those the Guys in White hurt, most noticeable being Danny.

"Do you have anything else you'd like to say?" the judge wondered. The lawyer stood up and scanned the courtroom, his gaze pausing on Danny who had made a little ice to soothe his burnt fingers, before turning to the cameras.

"Phantom has protected our world. Freelance ghost hunters have protected our world. We have heroes who will protect us with their last breath. With inventions devised by Fenton Works and others, we can stand against ghosts without such a dangerous organisation as the Guys in White. We have heard of the most horrific things in this room. But I think we owe it to Phantom to make this world a little safer for him. I firmly believe that the Guys in White are the monsters in this room, not ghosts. We need to shut them down before they manage to destroy something that can't be replaced so easily. It's clear to me, and I hope it is to you too, after this investigation, that the Guys in White have taken dangerous risks that could have destroyed everything we hold dear. I would sleep better at night knowing that they _weren't_ out there," the lawyer answered.

The judge nodded and allowed the lawyer to sit down before clearing his throat and turning to the courtroom.

"I agree. The Guys in White from this moment on are _shut down_. Any members who hunt ghosts after today under the Guys in White's name will be arrested and tried for being involved in an illegal organisation. Every member will be tried for their personal involvement in the Guys in White's activities and punished accordingly. As for Phantom. He is now protected by law from all ghost hunters and will be called upon to deal with any ghostly issues worldwide when necessary. This court is adjourned," the judge ruled with a bang of his gavel.

**Danny won the case! Was there any doubt he would?**

**Let me know what you guys thought of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	139. Chapter 139

"Recognised B12 Danny Phantom, 2 Batman, 13 Black Canary," a computerised voice announced. Danny stepped through the zeta tube, changing back to human and pulling off his mask.

"Surprise!" a number of voices cheered. Danny jerked to a stop, alarmed before taking in the cave. Banners and streamers with his name and congratulations covered the room. He smirked as Danielle rushed over to him with a card. On the front in swirly writing it said congratulations.

"It's funny but we couldn't find any cards that said anything about winning a court case or beating the Guys in White," Robin remarked with amusement. Danny laughed as he accepted the card from his clone, he flipped it open briefly and skimmed the scrawled messages inside.

"Thanks guys. I really wasn't expecting this," Danny replied with a shake of his head, scanning the room again, taking in the celebratory decorations.

"That's the idea of a surprise party," Wally pointed out as he strolled over to the halfa and dropped his elbow on the halfa's shoulder and gestured with a nod of his head towards a table laden with treats and food.

"Meg's been busy in the kitchen all day. Hope you're hungry," Wally commented. Danny smirked before holding an inviting hand out towards the table.

"Go ahead Wally. You can touch it now," Danny joked, knowing how much everyone would have had to threaten the speedster to get him to leave the table alone. Wally grinned before sprinting across the room and grabbing a plate of food for himself.

Artemis walked forward, shaking her head at her boyfriend.

"How does it feel?" she asked and everyone turned to the halfa. Danny shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Surreal. There's nothing stopping me going home now. There were times I've felt like I'd never go home. Not properly," Danny replied honestly. Danielle frowned to herself and turned away from Danny. She realised that Danny was right. There was nothing stopping him going home now. He could go back to his old life now and his old life had no room for her. She glanced around the cave, scanning the happy faces of the team. She wasn't part of that team. She only stayed for Danny and he didn't need her anymore. So what was keeping her around? She wasn't going to stay anywhere she wasn't needed. She knew the team wouldn't mind her staying around but she had never stayed in one place before. She had always been on the move, always looking over her shoulder, ever since she left Vlad and set out on her own.

While Black Canary joined the party, Batman stood back and watched the happy teenagers celebrate Danny's success. He noticed Danielle gradually drifting away from the team and out of the room. He frowned to himself before following behind her. Danielle wandered through the cave, glancing at what had been her home with Danny for the last few months before finding her way outside on the beach. She stared out across the gentle waves at the setting sun on the horizon. Batman followed her outside and watched as she shifted into her ghost form.

"Not going to say goodbye?" he called, alerting her to his presence. Danielle blinked and turned to the dark knight before shaking her head.

"Nah. Today's Danny's day. I don't want to make it about me. I'll just leave quietly. It's better," Danielle replied.

"Better or easier?" Batman challenged making his way across the sand to stand in front of the young girl. Danielle scowled at him.

"Can't it be both?" she retorted. Batman shrugged.

"It could but I don't think it is in this situation. Once everyone notices you're gone, they'll be worried. They'll try to find you. And I know by now that if a ghost, or even a halfa, doesn't want to be found it can be near impossible to find them," Batman commented.

"Nearly impossible?" Danielle repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. There are ways to find anyone. With the right connections and the right technology and knowledge, anything is possible. Even finding a ghost," Batman agreed. Danielle huffed.

"So what? They'll look for me but if they find me then I'll just explain and they'll agree I was right in the first place," Danielle decided for herself.

"Would Danny agree?" Batman asked. Danielle's determined scowl faltered for a moment before she glanced back at the cave.

"He doesn't need me. He's got the team. He's got his family and friends. He has his life back. That's all I wanted," Danielle mumbled, sadness in her neon green eyes. Batman's hard scowl softened before he knelt down beside the girl and put a hand on her shoulder.

"But is that what you want now?" Batman wondered. Danielle blinked and before shrugging. No one had asked her what she wanted. She had never considered what she wanted for herself. Her mind was always more concerned with what was happening right now. Tomorrow was tomorrow's problem. Batman pursed his lips before he made his decision.

"Have you considered what will happen now that the judge made Danny and the rest of us heroes solely responsible for protecting the world from ghostly threats?" Batman asked. Danielle frowned in confusion before shaking her head.

"I have. I've figured out how we'll get our weapons to allow us to fight those ghosts but we need to learn what a ghost can do and what it can't, or won't do," Batman pointed out.

"Vlad," Danielle mumbled to herself in realisation, knowing of Batman's deal with the oldest halfa.

"How will we learn what fighting a ghost is like?" Batman pressed. Danielle blinked at the man's insistence for an answer before she shrugged.

"I guess Danny will teach you guys," Danielle offered.

"He could. You're right. But with his life back on track, he will be busy. He'll be going to school with his friends, spending time with his family and defending his hometown," Batman reminded the female halfa. Danielle scowled in thought as she considered the dark knight's dilemma.

Her eyes widened as she realised what Batman was getting to.

"You want me to teach you guys," she gasped, turning disbelieving wide eyes to the man in front of her. Batman smirked, nodding in confirmation.

"I do. Halfas are powerful. There's no point in training to fight a weak opponent. You can use different powers to give us a wide range of training exercises. As Danny's clone, there's a chance that you'll be able to duplicate and that will enable us to train against a group of ghosts," Batman agreed. Danielle stepped back, out of Batman's reach.

"I can't train anyone! I'm still learning myself. And… I've lost control before in training," Danielle protested, recalling when she got so frustrated in not hitting Danny that she ignored Black Canary when she called time on their spar.

"True. You need discipline. But I'm not saying you can't call on me, Black Canary or even Danny when you need us to help you. I know that you're still learning. I know that you can be a loose cannon. But the fact is you're on our side. And as far as I can see, you are the perfect candidate. You have no ties outside of the cave, other than Danny. We can school you and help you find a life for yourself as you grow and allow you a firm base to ground you. I find it's easier to find my way once I know where I stand," Batman reasoned.

Danielle bit her lip before she shook her head.

"I dunno," she mumbled.

"It would mean a lot to me and the league. And you'd be helping Danny. He won't have time to train us but he may rely on us in the future if the time ever comes that a ghost launches a widespread invasion," Batman added. Danielle paused and glanced back at the cave before chewing her lip in thought.

"Why me?" Danielle whispered. Batman gave the girl a warm smile.

"Why not?" he returned. Danielle smirked at him before shrugging.

"I never thought anyone would want me. I mean, I'm just a cheap knock-off compared to Danny," Danielle answered. Batman shook his head.

"No one thinks that Danielle. Do you think Superboy is a cheap knock off compared to Superman?" Batman retorted. Danielle shook her head.

"Of course not! He's his own person. And he has his own past and strengths… and I'm just making your point to me for you," Danielle realised. Batman chuckled.

"You are. So, what do you say? Will you train the Justice League and maybe Young Justice how to fight ghosts?" Batman replied. Danielle glanced at the cave again before giving the dark knight a small smile and a shrug.

"Alright. But only as a trial. If it doesn't work then I'm leaving and you won't stop me," Danielle stipulated. Batman held out a hand which she took.

"Deal," he affirmed.

"I suppose we should go back inside then," Danielle mumbled, withdrawing her hand to rub her arm. Batman nodded and got to his feet. Together they crossed the beach and re-entered the cave, just in time to see Wally trip over his own feet and accidentally throw a cupcake at Conner, hitting his back, who grabbed another cupcake and threw it at Wally in retaliation, starting a massive food fight. Batman scowled at the teen's antics while Danielle laughed loudly and joined in, flickering intangible to dodge flying food. Danny edged over to the caped crusader.

"Did you ask her?" he ventured, glancing at his clone.

"I did. She was just about to leave but I convinced her to stay and train the Justice League and the team on a trial period," Batman confirmed. Danny smiled in relief.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it," Danny replied before shouting in surprise when the back of his head got hit by something gooey. Danny whipped his head around and spotted Artemis smirking at him, mischief in her eyes. Danny's surprise dissolved into playful determination as he grabbed something off the table nearby and chased after the archer.

Black Canary ducked under some food before stopping beside Batman. She smirked as the dark knight scowled at the growing mess, ignoring the laughter and cries of shock.

"Not going to stop them?" she asked.

"No. But I'm not going to help them clean it up either. And don't even think about it Canary," Batman answered, flicking his gaze towards the cupcake hidden behind the woman's back. Black Canary shrugged before pulling the sweet treat out of hiding and bit into it.

"When does Danny go home?" she wondered, her eyes following the halfa in question.

"When he feels ready. But I think it's probably better that he waits until the summer, to protect his cover story," Batman decided.

"Oh yes. He's supposed to have been with his aunt in Spittoon being home-schooled," Black Canary recalled with a nod. Batman grunted in confirmation.

"I think Danny will be ready to leave sooner than we think. He's come a long way since the boy we spoke to in the medical facility," Black Canary predicted with a faraway look in her soft eyes.

**So Danielle agreed to stay on as a trainer of sorts for the heroes.**

**There's only one more chapter to this massive story and lengthy journey Danny has endured. **

**Let me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

**Until the next chapter.**


	140. Chapter 140

Danny heaved a big sigh as he stepped out of the newly erected Zeta Tube into the bright sunlight. He smiled to himself, revelling in the moment before turning back around and lugging his suitcase out of the Zeta tube behind him. Today was the day he returned home. He grinned as he shifted into his ghost form and flew himself and his suitcase to the bus terminal. Once he found a safe place, he reverted to human before he strolled out of the building and made his way down the sidewalk utilising his ghostly strength to carry his bulging case. He ignored the old posters and banners declaring support for Phantom during his court case abandoned on lampposts and in trashcans. Phantom had been making regular visits back to Amity Park for weeks.

Now that he was protected from ghost hunters, he could safely come back and patrol the town as much as he liked. He had used his newfound freedom to reconnect with his friends and family. He came back most nights and patrolled either in his old trio of himself, Sam and Tucker or with Danielle or one or two of his new team mates. Spending so much time with Sam and Tucker had helped the old friends to refresh their easy-going friendship and reassure them that Danny was doing okay. The same couldn't be said for Danny's parents. Both were still adjusting to fighting alongside their son in ghost fights. Maddie tended to push Danny out of harm's way and take over the fight despite Danny being in full control. Jack on the other hand seemed to forget to listen to Danny's experienced pieces of advice, preferring to jump head-first into a fight and cause issues for everyone involved. Thankfully neither adult had developed Jazz's special aim for him when it came to the Fenton thermos. Danny knew that his parents didn't mean to make things difficult for him. They had yet to adjust to being Phantom's allies. While they had known the truth about their son for almost year at this point, they had yet to experience what it meant to be the parents' of the town hero.

On a completely different note though, Valerie had changed a lot. Once Danny Phantom returned to patrolling the town, she joined him. She helped him at every opportunity and after a few nights of working together, Danny plucked up the courage to ask her why her attitude towards him had changed. Valerie lowered her gaze to the town below them as they lazily drifted through the air on their patrol.

"I've been working on my anger. I started taking these anger management classes and I kinda realised how much I let my anger over what happened cloud my judgement. It took over my entire life to be honest with you," Valerie muttered. Danny blinked in surprise.

"So things are better now?" he ventured. Valerie looked up at him with a soft smile and nodded.

"So much. I didn't realise how much I let that anger bleed into my life. I used to snap at anyone who got in my way. I mean poor Mikey, he tripped as he ran away from Dash once, I practically bit his head off because he delayed me. It wouldn't have been more than a minute. And my Dad, I was always blaming him for stuff that wasn't his fault," Valerie paused to shake her head in shame.

"I used ghost hunting to relieve some of that pent up anger and it made me into a monster. I see that now. Thanks to that thing with Recuerda. So I guess I should thank you," Valerie concluded. Danny smirked at her before he floated close enough to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nah, that's all you. But thank you for giving me a second chance," Danny replied. Valerie opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Danny's ghost sense and her sensor beeping.

"Let's get that spook," she suggested instead. Danny grinned in response and raced off.

Valerie's attitude to Phantom wasn't the only thing that changed. Her whole outlook had changed and it was only too obvious in her new fighting technique. She no longer spewed death threats at her opponents, instead joining in with Danny's witty banter. She didn't let her anger lead her into an uncontrollable rampage after a ghost, but instead kept her cool and fought with a level-head, making sure to back off if she found her anger getting the best of her. Her new partnership and fighting techniques had increased her popularity, leading to the Red Huntress getting her own news reports and newspaper articles on occasion. Danny knew it made Valerie happy to see the town finally accepting her as one of its heroes, even if she'd never admit it to him.

Danny stopped at a pedestrian crossing before frowning to himself and decided to take a longer, more scenic route home. So instead of crossing the street as the green light came on, he turned down the street and kept going. As he walked, he looked around his town, watching the relaxed citizens living their lives, comforted by the return of their hero. Danny's gaze settled on a store across the street. On the screen a dazzling grin and styled blonde hair greeted him as Lance Thunder reported on how the FBI investigation into the Guys in White was progressing. Danny smirked at the reporter before he continued on his way. The reporter had finally made it big as a national reporter for America, reporting on ghosts. Danny, and most of the town, knew that Lance didn't like reporting on all the ghost attacks, often because he had to be in danger reporting on the scene. But again like most of the town, Danny also knew that Lance wanted to be a big reporter on the TV.

Danny thought back to the other day when the FBI had contacted him through Batman. It had been about Agents O and K. The FBI had taken over the investigation from the secret service. They had been tracking down every Guys in White operative they could and bringing them to justice. They often called on Danny to identify an agent or to ask his opinion on their findings. Most operatives he didn't recognise despite the FBI having strong evidence of them interacting with Danny. Most of the Guys in White hadn't been recognisable or he only saw them once. He tended to only look and see their white uniforms and big guns pointed at him. But others he recognised instantly, such as the head scientist that experimented on him. Danny didn't hesitate to condemn that man to a long sentence, not forgetting a single detail of the crimes that man committed during his time with the halfa. But this time it was Agent O and Agent K. Two of the most recognisable agents, at least for Danny.

"Phantom. Do you recognise these Guys in White operatives?" one FBI agent asked, Rogers if Danny remembered correctly.

"Yes. I do. Agent O and Agent K. I'll be honest though, I can't remember which is which," Danny confirmed with a shrug.

"We've already completed our investigation but is there anything you can add?" Rogers asked, surprised that Danny had known these particular agents so well. Danny considered the men sitting at the table before he crossed his arms and dropped his shoulder against the wall.

"Well, to be honest, they never actually did anything to me. They tried but never succeeded. There were far worse agents than them. I wouldn't be surprised if they were brainwashed and truly thought that they were doing the right thing," Danny admitted, shocking all the men in the room.

"Are you saying that you don't want us to arrest them?" a lesser FBI agent Danny didn't know by name interjected incredulously.

"I didn't say that. They rarely endangered me but they endangered others plenty. They destroyed property to get to me, arrested people and attacked bystanders. I remember once that they charged after a teenager with fighter jets and fired missiles at the Amity Park Observatory, endangering dozens of people. All because one teenager happened to have white hair," Danny corrected, considering the captive Guys in White agents. The FBI agents shared uncertain glances.

"Maybe you could have them professionally examined. You know up here before sentencing them. Just be careful, they could try and trick them into giving them shorter sentences," Danny recommended, gesturing to his head with a shrug.

Lance's fame was only the beginning for Amity Park though. After Danny's court case, the world had been forced to accept the existence of ghosts. There were still some people who claimed that it was a trick or that what was thought to be ghosts was really another type of alien. But Danny's court case triggered the paranormal to become hugely popular, especially tourist attractions claiming to be haunted. As such, Amity Park was thriving with tourists. Danny grunted in surprise when a little kid chattering in Spanish nearly pushed him over in their excitement. Danny rolled his eyes as he continued, noticing a harried woman rush after the child. It both pleased and irked Danny to have so many tourists in town. Tourists didn't seem to understand the concept that ghost fights were dangerous and when one such fight broke out they should run to a safe distance rather than stand in the middle of the battle taking pictures or making videos. But on the other hand, tourists brought money into the town. And that money would help the town in a lot of ways. Funding for schools, healthcare or even ghost attack repairs would be better with the money from tourists. It also made Danny feel better. Phantom had caused so many problems for Amity Park, from attracting dangerous ghosts looking to challenge him to his own reckless mistakes in ghost fights or the occasional time he lost control of his powers. Most tourists came to Amity Park to see ghosts, but more so one in particular, Amity Park's resident ghostly hero, Danny Phantom. If his presence could give back to his town, he would tolerate the annoying crowds of fans chasing him.

As he passed Casper High, which was now shut for the summer, he recalled Red Tornado's visit to the school towards the end of the school year. The android had crafted together a human disguise and posed as the tutor his aunt hired in Spittoon to teach her nephew. He had given all Danny's work to the school and Danny had been surprised to learn that Casper High had gone through the work and sent a report card back to his parents showing that he had gone from barely scrapping a D average to achieving a good B average, including even a couple of As here and there. Danny shook his head with amusement when he recalled his parents' reaction. Red Tornado had resumed teaching Danielle and Garfield but on his last day in the android's class, Red Tornado pulled him to one side and offered to tutor him again if he ever fell behind in his studies because of Phantom. Danny gladly accepted as he had worried that he could fall behind again when he started back at Casper High without anyone to keep him on track of his studies. But with the android offering his services to the halfa, Danny knew that he would be able to maintain his grades, especially with his parents now understanding why he was behind on his chores or homework. But the thoughts of school reminded him of his old classmates. Garfield and Danielle.

Garfield had fully adopted his new name of Beast Boy. Danny would never admit it to Jazz, but it was a good name for the green boy to have. Unfortunately Danny's original theory that having a new name for his new form hadn't helped Garfield to regain his natural human form. Although Garfield hadn't seemed too upset when his attempts to change back all failed. It seemed that Garfield had accepted his new life and put his grief behind him. Danielle wasn't impressed that she was expected to resume going to "Red Tornado School" as she put it, but she had started on her path to becoming a superhero trainer. She had held a couple of ghost fighting lessons with the team under Danny's supervision, but he had only needed to step in once when Danielle started to get a little too intense for such an early lesson. She had been nervous teaching people older than herself and the team had been a little confused why Danielle was training them and not Danny, but both sides accepted the situation and enjoyed the lessons. Danny made sure to let Danielle know how well she was doing or if there was anything she could improve on.

Danny turned a corner and instantly spotted his home. Fenton Works in its neon glory. He had been home regularly over the last month or so but the most recent visit had been for his birthday. The entire team, Danielle and Garfield had joined the Fentons and Sam and Tucker for a day of celebrations and cake. It had been the first time in almost a year that Danny spent the night in his very own bed in his own bedroom. But that celebration had only reminded Danny of the one he had just left. He chuckled to himself. The team had held a massive farewell party just before he left the cave with his suitcase. The joke was on them. He still had plenty left at the cave and would have to go back and get the rest of his belongings.

He breathed another contented sigh, revelling in his official return home, shoving a hand into his pocket to double check if he had the tickets Batman had provided for him as proof of his cover story. One was a plane ticket which had been bought and Danny had even gone through the motions at the airport in Spittoon, utilising Justice League Zeta tubes and his powers to board the plane and disembark without having to endure the flight itself. The other had been a ticket for a bus from the airport to Amity Park. Again to add to his cover story that he had spent the last year or so in Spittoon with his Aunt Alicia. It was important that he hide his tracks as much as possible now that even more people knew that Phantom had a human half. Anyone with brains would make the connection that Phantom's human half would most likely live in Amity Park. It was another reason why Phantom had publicly made his return to Amity Park before Fenton returned home.

Danny resumed his walk towards his childhood home, despite his heavy case, it allowed him to revel in the joy building in his chest as he returned. Almost a year ago to the day he had been taken by the Guys in White. There had been times where he thought he was broken beyond repair. Times where he thought he was doomed to die a horrible death and stay locked up either by his captors or in protection. Times where he thought he'd never come home because he was beyond saving, beyond healing, beyond being Phantom ever again. But here he was, walking home on a bright sunny day filled with hope for the future. The Guys in White were gone. He was part of a team, Young Justice. He was a recognised hero and even had laws to protect him from other ghost hunters. He had earned Vlad's respect, as much as possible considering it was the fruit loop. His parents knew his secret and supported him despite it. He had a stronger support structure than he'd ever had. He had Black Canary to talk to if things ever got too much for him. He had Red Tornado to tutor him if he ever fell behind in his studies or didn't understand something. He had Valerie if he needed help as Phantom, as well as Team Phantom and his parents. He had his team mates if he ever needed to get out of Amity Park for a few hours. Despite the terror and horror he endure at the hands of the Guys in White and the Light later on, even if he couldn't recall exactly who had experimented on him there, he was happy where he had ended up. Black Canary was right all those months ago. His experiences had changed him, he wasn't the same care-free teen the Guys in White took, he knew the dangers the world held for him now. But he was stronger than he was before. Normal was over-rated.

Before he knew it, he reached Fenton Works and was on the front door step. He breathed another deep sigh before trying the door and found it unlocked. He turned to glance back out on to the street with a smile.

"I'm home!" he called as he stepped into the house.

**That is that!**

**This story took me almost exactly three years to write and at times I felt like I'd never finish it. Heh heh.**

**But there we have it. **

**So I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who read this mammoth story from start to finish and thank everyone who left a review. It really does make my day to read your thoughts on what I've written. I'm proud to say that this story is now my highest reviewed story. Thanks to you guys.**

**Please let me know what you guys thought of the story now that it's finished.**

**It might be a while now before you see me posting again but I will. I'm currently working on my next story.**

**Until the next fanfic.**


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